


Sea Salt Vignettes

by CryptidGrimnoir137



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Axel - Freeform, Beaches, Dreams, Empathy, Forgiveness, Gen, Goofy - Freeform, Home, Ice Cream, Journals, Keyblades (Kingdom Hearts), Lea - Freeform, Moogles, Nightmares, Questions, Roxas - Freeform, Sora - Freeform, Teasing, Understanding, Vacation, chakrams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 27,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26138782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CryptidGrimnoir137/pseuds/CryptidGrimnoir137
Summary: A collection of vignettes focused on Axel, following his attempts to build a life for himself and Roxas and Xion. Set after KH3, non-Re:Mind compliant.Written for Akurokushi Day--8/27
Relationships: Aqua & Axel (Kingdom Hearts), Axel & Olette, Axel & Roxas & Xion (Kingdom Hearts), Axel & Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Axel & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Axel & Xion (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 17





	1. Sea Salt Vignettes: Axel

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hey, everybody! Happy Sea-Salt Trio Day! What you are about to read is a series of vignettes focused on the most awesome trio in Kingdom Hearts, all told from Axel's point of view.
> 
> This series of vignettes is primarily composed of stand-alone stories. They can be read in any order you like, so feel free to skip around at your leisure.
> 
> This series is not canon to Rise Above the X, but exists in similar vein to the Rokushi 2020 stories.
> 
> This first chapter is all about Axel. Axel, Axel, and nothing but Axel!

**Sea Salt Vignettes**

**Axel**

His name was Axel. But what did that mean? It meant he was calculating, cold, unfeeling. Wielding chakrams and a prolificness for fire magic. The Flurry of Dancing Flames. A killer. He didn't need any more identity than that.

A long time ago, more years than he was willing to admit, his name had been Lea. He had snuck into the castle in Radiant Garden with his best friend Isa. They had been spying, and seen things they weren't meant to see. There was someone else there, a girl. He and Isa had sought to free her. But they'd been caught. By a man called Xehanort, but who claimed his name was Ansem.

After that…he hadn't felt anything. And he had found himself far, far from the Garden…not that there had been anything left of the Garden. And then, _he_ had shown up…wearing a long black robe with weird little zippers. The Superior. Xemnas. The Superior had waved his hand and out of nowhere, letters appeared in front of him. L…E…A…and then…an X.

"Your new name."

At first, it had been alien. Axel had moved around almost like a zombie. He wasn't human anymore. He was a being called a Nobody. What this meant, he did not know. He just knew that nothing was the same. But he also knew that didn't bother him.

As the years rolled by, Axel took the role as the Organization's assassin. He traveled across a score of worlds. He sneaked around, spied in the shadows and if there were someone who needed to be taken out, then he was the one who'd do it. He was fast and with his fire magic, he could make it so that there would be no trace of a body. Nothing left, not even ashes. A most effective skill when it came to keeping the goings-on of the Organization a secret.

And with each kill, Axel became better. Though his fires burned hot, he became colder and colder. He struck down any who got in his way or else orchestrated the destruction of any who he couldn't take in a straight fight. He didn't feel guilt or remorse or even concern for his actions.

Then…something happened. A new Nobody joined the Organization. Roxas. Almost completely a zombie, rarely talking. Axel was stuck with baby-sitting duty, and he had to make sure Roxas didn't break on his first few missions. In spite of being a clueless zombie, Roxas was alright. And Axel had taken him to eat a bar of sea-salt ice cream. Which, for whatever reason, was the only food that Axel still liked to eat.

Things were alright for a couple of weeks. Showing Roxas the ropes of the Organization, going to missions and gathering hearts. Hearts that would potentially mean that the members of the Organization could become human again. But it couldn't last. Axel was assigned to go to the secondary base of the Organization: Castle Oblivion.

In Castle Oblivion, things were a little different. Or maybe they were back to normal. He had gone with five others: Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Marluxia, Larxene. He opposed them all, Vexen with his arrogance, Lexaeus and Zexion with their devotion to the Superior, Marluxia and Larxene with their treachery. And Axel had his instructions from Saix. Take them all out. This would be how they would take over the Organization themselves…

Lo and behold, there was somebody else in Castle Oblivion. A strange little girl named Naminé. She had no physical prowess to speak of, but she had the strangest powers Axel had ever seen. Powers to manipulate the memories of a boy named Sora, and those who knew him.

Somebody must have had a sense of humor, because who would show up at Castle Oblivion but Sora? The hero of the Keyblade. The person from whom Roxas had been created. One of only two who became a Heartless and kept his sentience. And kind of a pain in the neck.

But then he cut down Vexen. Sure, Sora was the one who beat him half to death with the Keyblade, but Axel finished him off. It was for the best. Couldn't have Vexen spilling secrets, especially about Roxas's existence. One little snap of the fingers and the Chilling Academic burst into flames. There wasn't enough of the body to fade into darkness.

He didn't need to bother with Larxene. Sora destroyed her and she threw a tantrum as she faded away into nothing. Good riddance. Axel doubted anyone would miss Larxene…but they didn't have feelings, so that wasn't really an issue in the first place. You couldn't miss what you didn't care about.

Marluxia was trouble. He was an assassin as well, and he trusted Axel as much as Axel trusted him. Which was to say, not at all. But Marluxia had betrayed them, and for that he would die. Nothing, not even Marluxia pushing little Namine in front of him, was going to sway him from his quest. Until Sora came rushing in.

Sora wound up being a lot stronger than he looked, and Axel ended up taking a real pounding. Say what you will of Namine manipulating his memories, the kid could fight. And Axel was forced to retreat. And then Sora took out Marluxia, so it was a moot point.

In the basements, only Zexion and Lexaeus were left. Or, only Zexion. Lexaeus was destroyed in a fight with Riku. Zexion was the last one and he had been injured himself. Which made it easy for Axel to convince the Riku Replica to take Zexion out.

Five allies he had known for years, cut down one by one. And he hadn't cared at all. Which only made it weirder when he had finally returned to the Castle That Never Was. And he got back with Roxas and Xion, too. And he started to feel again…

xxxx

Roxas had left. Axel had to get him back, or else Xemnas would destroy him. Destroy both of them. Problem was that Roxas had had his mind tampered with. He didn't remember anything. This wasn't good.

He tried to talk to Roxas. Roxas didn't listen. It was unnerving. Roxas didn't remember anything, but Axel refused to give up.

Stubbornness was not an emotion. This wasn't truly feeling. But it was something. It gave Axel more purpose than anything else had in a long time. But he could Roxas slipping away. And that made him all the more angry.

They fought again. Bad. Really bad. Axel no longer cared. He had never really cared. None of what he felt had truly been real. Roxas summoned his Keyblades. _Keyblades_. He had two of them. He used to give them names, but Axel neither knew nor cared what these two Keyblades were called. It was too late. All Axel knew was hurt…or this facade of hurt. He just wanted to burn things…

Roxas beat him. He'd given him a real pounding. Just like Sora had done, so long ago.

"Let's meet again, in the next life," Axel said, as he opened a Dark Corridor. The last thing he saw of Roxas was…regret?

Roxas was gone. Re-absorbed into Sora. Axel couldn't tolerate it. He wanted his friend back. Forget Xemnas. Forget the Organization. Forget whatever it was that he couldn't remember. Nothing else mattered now, but getting Roxas back.

Kidnapping Kairi was…not his brightest move. He had been so desperate to get Roxas back. He had stolen Kairi, yanked her right through a Dark Corridor. She'd been terrified and furious. Mostly furious, and she punched and pinched and kicked him all the way through the Corridor into the World That Never Was. Kairi had managed to get away from him…only to be immediately grabbed by Saix.

Things got really bad after that. Organization XIII was using Sora to collect hearts for Xemnas's schemes. Just like they had used Roxas and…no, it was just Roxas wasn't it? But Axel had had it with the set-ups and the schemes and Xemnas being an all-around bastard. He'd put a stop to it. Once and for all.

Tracking down Kairi in the Castle's dungeon was easy. Getting her out was not easy. Especially with Saix intercepting before Axel could do anything.

"You will no longer interfere with our goals," Saix said. "Kingdom Hearts is very nearly complete. I will exist. You will not."

Pain. Sharp pain. A claymore, slamming into Axel's side. Ribs cracked. Something important went _squish_. Owww…

He couldn't get to Kairi…but…maybe he could help Sora. One last ride. One last mission. One last fight. Axel forced himself to move, to lift his legs. His legs didn't want to move, but Axel had never been one to be told 'No,' not even by himself, so he pushed onward.

He wasn't sure where he was, exactly. The Betwixt and Between…but what exactly that meant was anybody's guess. Sora and his two pals Donald and Goofy were surrounded by Dusks, outnumbered. Well, maybe Axel could even the odds then.

Turns out Axel sucked at evening the odds, or else the Dusks had finally learned how to breed. There were hundreds, maybe thousands. So many Dusks, he couldn't tell where one finished and another began. Oh well…

"Watch this, Roxas!"

He summed every ounce of strength he had, and then reached for more. He pushed his magic to its limits, and then past those limits. Far beyond what Roxas used to call a Limit Break would have offered. Flames shot out of every angle and consumed every last Dusk. They exploded into nothingness. And then Axel felt himself begin to fade.

There were still fights to be had. Xemnas and the last few members of Organization XIII. Xigbar, that sharpshooter snake. And Saix…Isa had been his friend once…but that was long, long in the past. There was Luxord…ugh…he hadn't been that big a jerk..Axel hoped Sora would end him quickly.

So much pain…but he had to explain. Couldn't go into the dark with this on his chest.

"I wanted to see Roxas. He was the only one I ever liked. He made me feel like I had a heart."

Sora was staring at him, his expression far more gentle than Axel deserved. What was the look in his eyes? Forgiveness? Understanding? There was a twinge of warmth in Axel's chest. Something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"You make me feel the same way."

Then…darkness. The fighting was not over. But Axel was.

xxxx

The fighting didn't end. And neither did he. Axel was re-completed. Human again. Just like that bastard Xemnas had always promised, even if it had been a lie from the start. Ironic. And of course, since Axel was re-completed, that meant Xehanort got re-completed too. And now, he was trying to take over the world again.

Axel wasn't gonna stand for it. He was gonna fight and he was gonna get his friends back. Sora was his friend now, even if he was still a pain in the neck. Axel opened a Dark Corridor, putting his newly formed body in grave danger, but it was worth it if it meant helping his friends. He tracked down Sora's Keyblade Master, Yen Sid. Who told him that he could assist, if he became a wielder as well. So that meant learning how to wield a Keyblade. Which, it turned out, was really stinking hard.

Stuck in a weirdo forest where time didn't exist, Axel wasn't sure how long he spent trying to get the stupid Keyblade to show up. A hundred days? Two hundred? And it turned out to just be a few days outside, in the normal world? Whatever. Timey-wimey stuff was above Axel's pay grade.

Teleporting in at the last second to save Sora's butt from Xehanort, who turned out to be a wrinkled old geezer? Back-sassing the old geezer and Xigbar too? And all without a Keyblade? Haha, that was most certainly not above Axel's pay grade. He got Sora out of a really icky situation and that was a good thing. And he finally learned how to summon his Keyblade, and given nearly everyone a heart attack, which was a great bonus.

But there was still training to do. Which meant going back to the weirdo forest where time didn't exist. And this time, he had a training partner. Kairi, the Princess of Heart…the girl he kidnapped to try to turn Sora back into a Heartless and get Roxas back. She'd been uneasy about working with him, not that he'd blamed her.

Kairi was a fighter though, and way stronger than she looked (which wasn't saying much by itself. What was it with Keybearers being teeny-tiny?). And she had such kindness—which, given that she was a Princess of Heart, wasn't surprising in itself. She wanted to help others, so much. Help Roxas and help Namine…and…was there someone else? It was the strangest thing, but Axel was convinced he was forgetting someone. Someone important. And not the girl that he and Isa had first tried to save all those years ago either.

Kairi teamed up with him during the battle in the Keyblade Graveyard and they fought Saix—Isa had gone back over to Xehanort…and one other person. Someone small. Axel thought it was Roxas, but when the small person charged at them, Kairi blocked the attack and realized the small person was a girl. Axel didn't know who she was, but that didn't matter. He had to fight. To get Roxas back. To protect Kairi.

Fighting was hard. He still wasn't entirely used to a Keyblade. But he had to fight. He couldn't let Xehanort get Kingdom Hearts and that X-blade. No way. But even with Kairi, their trump card, and even with Sora…it wasn't enough. Not when that bastard Xemnas cut in. The small Seeker was told to take his life. But…she couldn't. She started crying, and when Sora told her to put down her Keyblade, she tried to attack him…really, really badly. And then…Sora said her name: "Xion."

Memories came rushing back. Memories he hadn't even realized he had forgotten. Memories of a little teenager with black hair and blue eyes and the sweetest, softest little voice. Xion…the girl he had vowed to always bring back. And Xemnas…he was going to cut her down with his ethereal blade. Axel grabbed at Xemnas's stupid ankle but it wasn't enough…

_"You can wait your turn, also-ran."_

But then, a shiny ball of light flew out of Sora's heart chest and then a big blast of lightning fell from the sky. And the next thing Axel knew, Roxas was standing there. And he had…two Keyblades and…oh, it was on!

They fought. It was pretty icky all things considered. Sora and Kairi were caught in one of Xemans's awful curses that zapped your energy and turned you into nothing. They fought him off and broke the spell, but Xemnas grabbed a weakened Kairi and fled. Axel was too sore to continue the fight, but Roxas and Xion were roaring for a fight. Saix didn't stand a chance. The three half-pints destroyed him.

"Guess I…should have brought some ice cream."

Okay, that was probably the dumbest thing he could have said. But it made Xion stop crying. Roxas and Xion were here. They were here. He had his friends back…he had them back. His eyes began burning.

The next thing he knew, Roxas and Xion were pressed tight against his chest. Or his stomach. Yeesh, they were small. So, so small. And they were crying and he was crying and oh…

He had them back. The fighting wasn't over, but it could take a little break.

xxxx

Now…the fighting was over. Or at least most of it—Aqua was adamant that they should train regularly, to be ready for the next threat. Fair enough, luck favored the prepared. But he wasn't sure what else there was to do know? Go back to the Garden? No…there was nothing for him there anymore. Not really. And the Land of Departure…it was a training grounds. Not that it was bad, but he had no attachment to it. He didn't want to live there.

"Axel, are you coming?"

Roxas and Xion wanted him. He stared at their eager faces. Bright blue eyes—a little purple-y in Xion's case—and round cheeks and wide smiles. There was hope in their eyes. Hope for the future. Man, what a concept.

His name was Axel. And what did that mean? It meant he was cheerful, had friends, told lame jokes. He wielded a Keyblade…which he could turn into his chakrams, and when he didn't it was made of fire. Which made it the coolest Keyblade ever. He still had his fire magic too. And he had Roxas and Xion. So long as he had those two little half-pints, he didn't need any more than that. They could figure the rest out later.


	2. Sea Salt Vignettes: Beaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A vignette on beach trips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and Walt Disney Studios. 
> 
> Hey everyone! This next vignette is all about the beach! Sure I’ve written a beach trip for these kiddos before, but really, what’s better for the Sea Salt Trio than a beach trip?

Back in the old days, in the Organization, Axel had promised Roxas and Xion that when they had another day off, whenever that might come, they would all go to the beach. That had come crashing down…like pretty much everything else from that year. But the promise was something he intended to keep. Now that they were back, there was nothing stopping them.

xxxx

The first beach they went to, was the Destiny Islands. It was the obvious choice, really. Xion loved it here. Back when Roxas had fallen into a coma for three weeks, Xion would leave a single seashell by his bedside drawer. One seashell a day, every day. And each seashell came from this beach. When Xion fell into a coma herself, Roxas returned the favor. A seashell a day, every day, placed on her bed. But each of those trips had been about as little as you could get. It took only a few minutes to find a seashell. Neither Roxas nor Xion had ever made a real day out of a beach trip.

Which is why they were here in the first place. This was their chance for a beach day. And what better beach than the Destiny Islands?

Axel's arms were filled with beach gear: an umbrella for shade, three towels, a cooler filled with cold soft drinks and ice cream bars, two of his frisbees, . He was going to make sure that Roxas and Xion had the absolute best day they had ever had.

Right from the start, his two half-pints practically squeed with delight. As Axel set up his umbrella and towel, so he could take a nap if he were so inclined. Hey, it was a day off—and if he wanted to sleep, sleep and turn around and sleep some more.

The Destiny Islands were tropical, though Axel couldn't remember where exactly they were on the planet. Kairi had said something about…the eighth latitude? Or something, he hadn't paid that close attention.

Point was, it was hot here. Hot and humid and it apparently was just about always the same exact weather. Hot enough that Axel needed to take off his shirt to ring it out of sweat less than ten minutes after he got himself settled. Eh…kind of icky. Probably better to leave it off.

"Alright, guys, where'd we put the sunscreen?"

"What's sunscreen?" Roxas and Xion asked in unison.

"Hahaha…." Axel trailed off. They'd always asked him questions about…pretty much everything. Life in the Organization had been so sterile, there was so much they didn't know. But he was pretty sure they were kidding about that. He hoped, anyway. If they didn't know what sunscreen was… sunburns would be their next question. And sunburns were icky.

"It's so warm," Xion said, slipping off her flip-flops. She giggled with delight as she dug her bare feet into the sand. "It tickles!"

Roxas wasted no time in ditching his own sandals and he and Xion began chasing each other. Man, even that was a novel experience for them—running barefoot on the beach. Axel's vision began to blur. They looked so, so happy. Wonderfully, blessedly happy.

"Help me find seashells!" Xion called, waving a plastic pail. Roxas nodded and together, they walked along the shore, looking for shells. They walked mostly in companionable silence—Axel could hear the calls of gulls and what might have been a pelican—occasionally picking up shells. After maybe fifteen minutes, Roxas and Xion had a full pail of shells.

"Look at this, Axel!"

Axel glanced at the pail. He could see clam shells, spiral shells that might have been used by snails or maybe hermit crabs, and Xion's favorite, thessala shells. There were white shells and yellow shells and a couple of purplish shells.

"Great!" Axel said. "So, what're you gonna do with them?"

"Well…" Xion said. "I was going to keep a few for my collection at home. But I don't want to take them all. Everyone should have the chance to collect seashells."

"Well…I have an idea. Lie down on the sand, Xion," Axel said. "Roxas, what do you know about shell outlines?"

Xion lay down in the sand on Axel's instruction, stretching her arms and legs like a starfish. Heh. Axel liked calling her half-pint, but Xion was so small, she was practically a quarter pint. Making sure to leave a few of her favorites as keepsakes, Axel and Roxas began setting the seashells around her. Clam shells by her elbows, sand dollars by her feet—in a bout of mischief that Axel wouldn't have expected, Roxas snuck a hand out to tickle Xion's bare toes. She gave a small shriek of laughter.

When they had finished outlining Xion with her seashells, she leaned back and closed her eyes. She almost looked ready to take a nap.

"I'm surrounded by my seashells. I have my two best friends. I…don't know if I could be happier."

Axel reached a hand down and ruffled Xion's hair. He wasn't sure he could be happier either.

xxxx

The beach in Twilight Town was barely an hour by the train. A trip there wasn't nearly as intensive to plan as a trip to the Islands. So, they were able to make trips on the fly.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, today the weather stank. Well, maybe not "stank," but the sky was overcast—which was weird in Twilight Town. There was a sharper wind too. The ocean looked choppier. No swimming today.

"Sorry kiddos," Axel said. "Looks like it's a bust."

"That's alright, Axel," Xion said, linking her arm through his. "This is still gonna be a great beach day."

"Yeah," Roxas said. "So long as we're all together, that's the important thing."

"But it's all spoiled," Axel said. "The water's too rough to swim, and the wind's kind of chilly so we can't sun ourselves. I mean, I suppose we could find some seashells, but if that guidebook of yours is anything to go by, Xion, you have every kind from these parts."

"Don't care," Xion said, tugging his hand. "We're together!"

"Yeah," Roxas said. "And there's other things to do…we can watch the waves!"

"Waves?" Axel asked. "How do you figure that?"

As if on cue, a particularly large wave crashed down onto the shore. Axel had to admit, it was pretty cool, but he was very glad they weren't under it.

"All we need is to find a bench," Roxas said with a nod. "And maybe get some nice hot pretzels to eat."

Axel let Roxas and Xion take hold of his hands and drag him towards one of the benches. They plopped him down in the middle and Xion sat down next to him, stretching her legs across his lap to keep him from getting back up, while Roxas ran over to a pretzel cart. Axel humored them—it would have been absurdly easy for him to get up. He was over a foot taller than Xion and at home, she was as often as not flung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. But he liked that the kiddos were so enthusiastic about what was otherwise a pretty icky set of circumstances.

"There's lots of games we can play with wave-watching," Xion said. "We can count the seconds between crashes…five, six, seven, eight…See, eight seconds. Just like you, huh, Axel? No. VIII?"

Man, they'd even managed to find ways to make light of that awful year in the Organization. His half-pints were awesome!

"Whatever you say, Number XIV," Axel said, reaching a hand to ruffle Xion's hair. He considered scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder, or maybe dangling her by her ankles—that was always good to make her laugh—but it was cute that she thought she was pinning him.

"I'm back!" Roxas said, with three hot pretzels in his hands. "Fresh from the oven! One for Xion, one for you Axel, and one for me!"

Xion rolled back to sit up straight. Roxas sat down on Axel's other side. Axel took a large bite of his pretzel. Mmm…soft and chewy and cinnamony. Salty, and sweet. Like sea salt ice cream.

"Or, we can have a Hold Your Breath For The Most Waves Contest," Xion said, between bites of pretzel, taking a deep breath. She was pretty good at holding her breath—until she remembered she was hungry and opened her mouth to take a bite of pretzel. "Awww.."

"Or," Roxas said, "We can have a Who Can Finish Their Pretzel First Contest!"

Roxas, having the metabolism of a teenaged boy, destroyed them both, finishing his pretzel before Xion ate four bites.

Axel gave a bark of laughter. These two…yeah, they were right. This was a pretty darned nice beach day after all.

"C'mon you two, let's see how long till the next wave comes down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Growing up of the Central Coast of California, one of my favorite things to do at the beach was watching the waves, which could be done on sunny days or cloudy days. Thus, I brought it here.
> 
> Thanks for reading, my dear, dear readers! Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	3. Sea Salt Vignettes: Chakrams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel learns the meaning behind the interchangeability of his chakrams and Keyblade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hi, readers! Enjoy this vignette where Axel muses on his chakrams!

s Keybearers, Axel and Roxas and Xion had responsibilities to protect the worlds. And this meant traveling to the world called the Land of Departure (Seriously, who came up with these names?), and training alongside the other Keybearers: Master Aqua, Terra and Ventus. While Roxas sparred with Terra, Axel and Xion met with Master Aqua.

"Training is the utmost responsibility for a Keybearer," Master Aqua said. "As guardians for the worlds, you must constantly work to improve yourself, so that you may improve others."

"Blah, blah, blah," Axel said. "We get it. Can we get to it now?"

"Yes," Master Aqua said. "Now, I understand that Roxas and Xion have a bit more experience than you…Axel."

"Yeah, the half-pints are the old hands," Axel said. "But I can hold my own."

He raised his hand and summoned his Keyblade. Flame Liberator. He flicked his wrist and transformed it into his old trusty chakrams.

"Formchanges?" Master Aqua's mouth fell open in surprise. "You've had your Keyblade for less than three months outside of Merlin's Forest and you've learned how to use Formchanges?"

"Is that what's this is called?" Axel asked. "I wasn't sure if I was just summoning my old weapons or if this was still my Keyblade. But, yeah, not even Riku can do this."

"Yes…it's the traditional term for the ability to magically transform your Keyblade into a separate shape. It still maintains its general magic—these…charkams, did you say?" Master Aqua cleared her throat. "They maintain their ability to slay Heartless and unlock any lock."

"Really?" Axel asked. "Learn something new every day."

"Yes," Master Aqua said solemnly. "It is quite impressive, Axel. You should take pride in this accomplishment."

Awesome! Axel spun his chakrams around and they morphed back into his Keyblade. Flame Liberator had a comfortable warmth in his hand.

"Master Aqua," Xion asked, raising her hand as if she were in school. "How long was it before you learned to use Formchanges?"

"I am only able to use it in a Glider form," Master Aqua said. "My fa…Master Eraqus instructed me in this skill when I had been his student for seven years."

"You can't turn your Keyblade into any other weapon?" Xion asked, her voice soft.

"No," Master Aqua shook her head lightly.

"Umm…I think I have already," Xion rubbed her arm. "But I'm not sure it counts. I'm a Replica. I copy things."

Xion held out her hand and a moment later, an exact duplicate of an all-too-familiar claymore. She dismissed it and then summoned her Keyblade, a replica of the Kingdom Key. Master Aqua looked more curious than surprised.

"An impressive skill to be sure," Master Aqua said. "But this appears to be a separate gift. Can you hold a replicated weapon at the same time as your Keyblade?"

Xion frowned and held out both hands. There was a flickering of light, but only her Keyblade appeared. Xion's shoulders sagged.

"An excellent try. Now, let me show you the basics of more advanced spell-casting," Master Aqua said. She summoned her Keyblade, a long silvery blade with a simple design.

"What the heck?" Axel said. "That's not the Keyblade you used in the Graveyard."

"No," Master Aqua said. "This is the Master Defender. It was passed down to me by Master Eraqus."

"Passed down by your Master…" Xion nodded solemnly. "I think you're making your Master proud."

"You're very sweet," Master Aqua said. "Now, why don't you head over to the training arena? I'll be there in a few minutes."

Xion scampered off, and Axel watched her go. Master Aqua smiled softly at Xion's little form.

"I think Master Eraqus would like her very much," Master Aqua said. "I wonder sometimes, what he might have done, had things not turned out like they had. Whether he might have taken on more apprentices."

"You miss him a lot, don't you?" Axel asked. "It must have been nice to have learned the proper way. Roxas and Xion had to learn everything on the fly. I mean, they've done okay for themselves. I mean, Roxas has two Keyblades, which I still don't understand."

"I miss him more than words can express," Master Aqua murmured, placing a hand over her heart. "But…we will see him again. And you're wrong—I don't think that Roxas and Xion learned by the fly at all."

"Well, sure, they picked things up from Sora, and they probably took in a bit from Master Yen Sid."

"No, Axel," Master Aqua shook her head. "I meant you."

"Me?!" Axel said. "A Master? Even with this Formchange-y thing, I'm the farthest thing from a Master!"

"But you're a teacher. From what Roxas and Xion tell me, they owe a tremendous amount to you."

Axel was fairly certain his ears were burning. He opened his mouth to argue the point, but his tongue felt too big.

"Axel! Master Aqua! Axel! Look, look, look! I've never replicated these before!"

Axel looked up. Standing tall in the training arena was Xion, grinning broadly. In her hands, both hands, were a set of chakrams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suspect it's near universal that Xion can replicate other weapons besides the Kingdom Key and Isa's claymore. Axel's chakrams seemed a natural next step. And given that Master Aqua inherited her teacher's weapon, why shouldn't Xion inherit Axel's?
> 
> Thank you for reading, my dear, dear readers! Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	4. Sea Salt Vignettes: Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel dreams...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hello, hello, hello, my dearest readers! I hope you enjoy this next vignette. All about dreams. It’s shorter than most of the other vignettes, but sometimes shorter is sweeter!

_Axel is staring down the Superior in the throne room. Roxas is sitting across the room, on his own throne. On the floor, trembling, Is Xion. Small and frail and so alone. She has failed mission after mission…she's being judged. If the Superior does not approve…if he does not rule in her favor…then she will be turned into a Dusk. Or worse._

_"_ _Number XIV…"_

_Axel holds his breath. This is it. The day of judgment. The Superior may not be present in their day-to-day lives, but he rules with an iron fist. No…not iron. Damascus would be more like it._

_"_ _It is no longer in our interests that you serve the Organization."_

_Axel cringes. This is as bad as anything that Xion could have feared. She's already starting to cry, to beg for mercy. She pleads for another chance. She begins tugging fistfuls of her hair out. Axel wants to get off this throne. He wants to pick her up and take her in his arms, to rock her gently. But he knows that he is no match for Xemnas._

_"_ _It is because…you are far too good a person for this smelly, mean, icky Organization," the Superior says. "This is no place for little Replicas to live. Xion, for your own good, you're fired."_

_"_ _But Master, where will I go?" Xion asks. "What will I do?"_

_"_ _Somewhere far, far, far away from this awful place. The Destiny Islands, perhaps," Xemnas said. "But you mustn't go alone. Take Roxas and Axel with you. As I said, this is no place for little Replicas, or small fries, or their baby-sitters."_

_"_ _I…thank you, Master."_

_Axel can hardly believe his ears. This is absolutely fantastic news. Xion isn't being destroyed. She's being set free! This is more than he could have ever have dreamt. This is a second chance, for her, for Roxas and for himself!_

_It's like a dream…a dream…a dream_

xxxx

Axel awoke slowly. He didn't want to get up. He felt his chest tighten in pain. He had had them back. Roxas and Xion, back with him. He could have made up for it, made up for every screwed up thing he put them through.

_It wasn't fair!_

It was morning, but Axel refused to get up. His hair got in front of his eyes. Good, then he wouldn't have to see the awful white walls of the stupid Castle. He would lie in bed and sulk all day. Forget the missions for the Organization. Forget Xemnas and his stupid artificial Kingdom Hearts moon. Forget stupid Saix. Forget it, forget it, forget it! Forget why he wasn't able to use a stronger swear word!

He hated the lot of them! He hated the entire Organization. Xemnas and his stupid lasers, Xigbar and his idiotic gun…thingy, Xaldin and Saix and Demyx with that stupid sitar. He hated them, hated them, hated them, and he hated that he didn't have a heart that would allow him to hate them.

Axel was still stewing in his hatred when it occurred to him that he wasn't supposed to be able to hate. And then the lights went on in his bedroom, and he realized the walls were a gaudy orange instead of white. And then Axel got hit by a truck…or two undersized teenagers. With very bony elbows and knees.

"Aaah!"

"Hi Axel!"

"Are you up yet? There's cartoons on tv!"

"Or are you gonna stay in bed all day? Is today a pajama day?"

Axel began to chuckle. Then he laughed. Then he roared. He reached his arms out and snagged Roxas around the shoulders and Xion around the waist. Both the kiddos began laughing too—though Xion's laugh was more of a squeal.

This was better than any dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really, what more is there to say?
> 
> Thank you for reading, my dear, dear readers! Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	5. Sea Salt Vignettes: Empathy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas and Axel discuss Riku's actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hello, my dearest readers! Enjoy!

Far above the streets of Twilight Town was the Clock Tower. The Clock Tower was the most prominent landmark in the area, and it was one of Axel's favorite places in any world. It was here that he and his best friends, Roxas and Xion, would sit and watch the sunset.

Axel glanced down from his perch. He could see a bunch of people running this way and that. Shoppers and soccer moms. Ducks and Moogles. But Axel only had eyes for Xion, who was standing with two others. Sora and Riku. Now there was an interesting trio to be sure.

"It's funny…" Roxas said, looking down at Riku, Sora and Xion. "Riku's not as easy to hate as I thought."

"What you mean?" Axel asked. He knew that Roxas and Riku had a very rocky history. Heck, if he was being honest, he had a rocky history with the kid too. Back in the Organization, Riku had masqueraded as a member, wearing the same black robe they all wore. And it had been Riku who had told Xion what she really was: a Replica made to house Sora's memories. He'd also been the one who had told Xion that the only way to get Sora to wake up was to return the memories…and disappear.

"Everything he did…wearing one of our robes, fighting Xion, fighting me, drawing on Ansem's power…it was all for Sora," Roxas said quietly. "He wanted to help Sora."

Axel was still kind of fuzzy on the specifics of what went down after Xion had vanished from conscious memory. He knew Riku and Roxas had fought and that Roxas had been defeated. And locked in that weird Digital Twilight Town.

All in all, Riku should have been someone that was very easy to hate. But Axel found that he couldn't either.

"He ruined my life…" Roxas said. "But…it was doomed from the start wasn't it? Because of Xemnas and Xehanort?"

"Not so different, when you stop to think about it," Axel muttered. "I did some pretty icky things myself…to Xion, and to you too, buddy."

"Icky" was putting it mildly. Forget the icky stuff for the Organization—taking out Vexen and Zexion had been a horrible thing, but since it allowed for their re-completion, maybe it balanced out. Ienzo didn't seem to hold a grudge, at least against Axel.

But fighting Xion, and taking cheap shots at her head to drag her back to the Organization by force? Staring her down while she begged him to kill her so she could return to Sora properly? And fighting Roxas in the Old Mansion, or the Digital Old Mansion…whatever. That was as icky as you could get.

Really when he really thought about it—how different was Riku from Axel?

Axel glanced over the streets. He could see Riku talking to Sora and Xion. Sora had an arm around Xion's shoulders, keeping her in a headlock. He smiled. Xion looked very happy. But wait a moment, Sora and Riku hadn't come here just the two of them. Where was…

"Hi," Kairi said. "Xion asked me to keep you two company, if that's alright."

"Yeah, of course," Roxas patted the seat next to him. Kairi sat down slowly, almost shyly.

"Don't be so nervous, Kairi," Roxas said. "You're among friends."

"Yeah," Axel added. "Xion's the one who bites."

"If you're talking about the time that she bit you for holding her ice cream above her head, you had that coming," Kairi said with a sneaky not-Princess-of-Hearty grin. "She also says that when you two are alone up here, you tend to get into trouble. So I'm here to make sure you don't get into any trouble at all."

"How could we get into trouble just by being up here," Roxas asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

"When boys are alone together, all their brains go away," Kairi said. "You need a girl around to make sure you don't do anything stupid. It's a rule. Xion does it for you two, I do it for Sora and Riku. We just traded today. Olette does it for Hayner and Pence. Back home, Selphie does it for Tidus and Wakka…"

Kairi trailed off. She began kicking her legs lightly. Xion had the same habit, whenever she was feeling contemplative.

"It was so much simpler back then, wasn't it?" Axel asked. "Back when you were all little kids."

"I'm still sort of a kid," Kairi mumbled. "But…Roxas, you and Xion never had the chance to really be kids."

"Sort of…" Roxas admitted. "But…we're here now, aren't we? We all struggled but we're all here now."

"Yeah…" Kairi said. "We're all here now."

"And I'm not going anywhere," Axel said. "Got it memorized?"

Kairi smiled her brightest smile.

"Got it memorized, Axel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people think that Roxas would hold a grudge against Riku. This is a reasonable position to hold, given every action Riku took. But keeping in mind what Roxas was willing to do for his friends, they strike me as not being very different at all. Thus, an understanding can be reached. And a little empathy goes a long way.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	6. Sea Salt Vignettes: Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forgiveness is discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Salutations my dear readers! Please enjoy this latest vignette!

As Keybearers, Axel and Roxas and Xion had a responsibility to the worlds at large. They were to light the darkness, and make others happy. And fight against any threat—Heartless or Nobody. Part of this meant maintaining regular training exercises, and this meant traveling to the tiny world called the Land of Departure, where Keyblade Master Aqua and her two closest friends, Terra and Ventus lived.

"I feel…funny," Xion said, one evening after training. "It's hard to describe."

"Try us," Axel said, wiping his face with a towel. Keyblade training was exhausting. But he did have a nice warm towel, so it balanced out. "Something Master Aqua say confusing you?"

"It's not Master Aqua. It's Terra," Xion said. "I think he feels guilty."

"About what?" Roxas asked. "He's never done anything bad. And Aqua's a tougher teacher than he is."

"I think…the way he looks at us sometimes…it's almost like he's afraid," Xion paused. "Do you think he remembers stuff from the Organization? Stuff from being Xemnas?"

Oh…right. Sometimes, Axel forgot that the connection Terra had to their old boss, Xemnas. Which was weird, given that Xemnas had been Terra's body…it was complicated and way icky to think about.

"Huh," Axel said. "I don't think so. Xehanort had taken over Terra's body, completely. And when all that stuff first started at Radiant Garden, he didn't have his memories. That's what Ienzo told me anyway."

"I remember bits and pieces from being inside Sora's heart though," Roxas said. "When you think about it, how different is that compared to what happened to Terra?"

A fair point, but as Axel recalled, Terra's heart had actually been stuck inside that weird Guardian…thing that Ansem used. Riku had used it too, come to think of it.

"I want to talk to him," Xion said. "I want to let him know he's forgiven. I don't like that he doesn't feel comfortable around us."

Forgiveness…now there was a concept. As a little kid, Axel's parents and teachers had always said that he had to forgive the other kids who broke his toys by playing too rough with them. He'd had a classmate, Petro, who held a grudge against him for two years when Axel had blabbed the punchline to a joke Petro had been telling. But that stuff was small potatoes compared to a lot of stuff that'd happened in the last few years.

Every person Axel had killed serving Xemnas…only Ienzo and Even were alive now, due to how Nobodies could be re-completed. But most of them he couldn't apologize to now. No matter how badly he wanted to. He'd never be able to be forgiven for most of his crimes.

"Axel…are you alright?" Xion asked. "Should we call Isa? You want to talk to him?"

Ah…Isa. Axel's best friend from childhood. Who Axel had followed into the Ansem the Wise's castle—Ansem had already been banished, but they hadn't realized that at the time. They both lost their hearts to Xemnas…they were forced into the Organization. Isa had been branded with the name Saix. And Saix had been frightening cruel and calculating. Absolutely callous, and he had been horrific towards Roxas and Xion that last year.

There was a lot of other stuff to it—Saix had been jealous of Roxas and Xion and their budding friendship with Axel. And when Saix had been re-completed and become Isa again, he had immediately began organizing things to allow Roxas and Xion to return, and live in Replica bodies.

He was still a bit of a stick in the mud and they didn't see each other much these days since Isa didn't have a Keyblade and politely declined Terra and Aqua when they offered to perform an inheritance ceremony.

Isa had been afraid, though. Afraid that Roxas and Xion would still hold, in his words, "completely justified, well-earned grudges of resentment," against him. Which proved that as much as Isa had lorded their grades over him as kids, he was dopey when it came to half-pints. Roxas and Xion had forgiven him everything.

Xehanort was a sick bastard, no matter how you sliced it. He wasn't driven by revenge, which explained Ansem the Wise's actions. He wasn't driven by a need to help his friend, like Riku had been. And Terra had been a pawn with no say in what had happened to him—most of which had been done by Xehanort.

"It might still be weird for Terra," Roxas said. "Riku and I…mostly understand each other now, but it's still kind of weird."

"Sometimes people just don't mesh well," Axel agreed. "But…yeah, sometimes the best thing you can do is forgive someone. Hatred and grudges…they burn you up inside."

Was there a part of him that refused to forgive Xehanort? Axel wasn't sure. The bastard was dead now, so what was there to hate? And though he wouldn't admit it to Master Aqua or Terra, how many of the good things in Axel's life were because of Xehanort's actions? Roxas and Xion. Sora and Kairi and Naminé. Everything he had now…he wouldn't have it if it weren't for Xehanort.

Maybe, _maybe_ , he could be forgive him for that. But he'd still keep a drawing of the old goat on a dartboard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, my readers! Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Forgiveness is one of the most sacred of all virtues, and thus, I felt it appropriate to dedicate a vignette to it.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	7. Sea Salt Vignettes: Goofy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sea Salt Trio has dinner with the Captain of the Guard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hello, my readers! Enjoy!

In a quiet corner of Disneytown, there were neighborhoods that almost looked ordinary. Regular houses with semi-regular colors, with regular streets running along nice, even roads. The part of the world was called "Spoonerville Square." Ironic that such an ordinary part of town was home to one of the least ordinary citizens—Goofy Goof. But it was here Goofy lived, and it was here that three Keybearers were staying.

"Thanks for the hospitality Goofy," Axel said. "King Mickey offered to keep us in the royal suites but…"

"It ain't homey there," Goofy said with a nod. "And things are still kinda awkward between you and Mickey since he and Minnie don't have kids and Roxas and Xion are still shy around 'em. Don't ya worry, Axel. I can make sure the three of you have a place to sleep tonight. It's the least I can do, on account of yah stoppin' Pete.

It had been a simple enough mission—stop Pete from stealing the old tomes and spell books King Mickey kept in the royal library. Apparently, King Mickey had smuggled them out of Yen Sid's Tower some years back (which Yen Sid was quick to reprimand Mickey for). And it turned out Pete was absolutely inept at everything but the simplest combat magic, and had unleashed several terrors that they had had to fight.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't so simple after all. Still, by the time everything was said and done, their Gummi Ship had been damaged when a terror tore through the Gummi Garage. Which required them to stay overnight as it was being repaired.

"I know just what ya need," Goofy said. "I'm gonna make you a big pot of Hi Dad Soup."

"What's Hi Dad Soup?" Roxas and Xion asked in unison. Ah, some things never changed. Not that Axel had ever heard of Hi Dad Soup either.

"Oh, it's my specialty," Goofy said. "We're just gonna need to pick up a few ingredients."

"Ingredients?" Roxas asked. "Like you used to fetch for Little Chef at Scrooge's bistro?"

"Hyuck, we're not gonna have to do any of that!" Goofy said. "The market's perfectly fine."

Goofy led them down the street to a marketplace, five blocks from where he lived. Twice, they had to stop because somebody wanted to say 'thank you' to the Keybearers who had fought Pete's terrors.

"Here we are," Goofy said. "Vegetables. We're gonna need carrots and onions and what do you think Axel? Parsnippys?"

"Parsnips?" Axel said. "The only time I like them is in a stew. They're too earthy otherwise."

"Earthy?" Roxas asked. "Like Terra, you mean? What are parsnips anyway? They don't have them in the gardens back home."

"They're cousins to carrots, more or less," Goofy said. "Trust me, yer gonna love em. And these are straight from Grandma Duck's farm."

This went on for a while, with Goofy picking up eggs, chicken, beef chunks, onions, and several spices.

"Almost forgot the pasta! Can't have the Hi Dad Soup without it! 'Cause then it's just Regular Soup, and it's not as much fun!"

Pasta…pasta…homemade pasta? Huh, Axel hadn't thought to look for that in an open-air market, but Goofy lived here, and he found what he was looking for almost immediately. There was a vendor with a mane of orange hair almost as impressive as Axel's, selling homemade pasta and bread.

"Here ya go, Mista Goof!" The vendor said. "Ma's alphabet pasta and a pound of cheddah! Ahooooo!"

"Thanks Bobby," Goofy said. "Tell yer folks I say hello."

"Mister Goofy," Xion said, holding the bag of alphabet pasta in her hands. "How did they cut the pasta into these little letters?"

"Er…I don't right know," Goofy said. "I reckon they have a special machine to do it. Or magic, one of the two. Now come on, we gotta get cookin'!"

xxxx

Goofy's kitchen wasn't large, but it was well-maintained and Goofy set right to work chopping vegetables and cooking the meat for the soup. Xion, bless her little heart, started helping right away, while Roxas set the table. Before long, the soup was bubbling on the stove, and Goofy was toasting the cheddar cheese he'd bought on artisan bread. It smelled better than anything Axel could cook.

"Here we go," Goofy said. "It's gonna be done in just a couple minutes!"

"Alright!" Roxas ran over to the table and took a seat. Xion darted over to bring the napkins that Roxas had forgotten.

"Come and get it!" Goofy said. "Oh…you're all at the table. Oops. Well, here we go, the world-famous Goofy Goof Hi Dad Soup!"

_Your last name is Goof and your parents named you Goofy?!_

"Oh, Mister Goofy, this is so yummy!" Xion said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"And the bread's great too!"

"That's the Zimmeruskis for ya!" Goofy said. "There's no one who knows cheese or pasta or pizza better than 'em!"

"What's pizza?" Roxas and Xion asked in unison. Goofy's mouth fell open in surprise and Axel felt his ears redden.

"Whatever it is, we can find out later," Roxas said. "This soup is delicious!"

Goofy chuckled and then began eating his own bowl of soup. Axel dipped his cheesy bread into the broth. Oh! That was good!

"So why is it 'Hi Dad Soup,' then?" Axel asked. "Why not just call it alphabet soup?"

"Oh," Goofy chuckled. "Back in the day, my boy Maxie, he was just learning how to read. And he'd take the last few letters in his soup and spell out little words. Like 'Hi Dad' or 'Bye bye' or 'I love you.' 'Hi Dad' just became the ones that stuck."

"That's…very sweet,"

"Yeah…it was," Goofy said. "Even after I stopped callin' it that, since Max could read, he loved alphabet soup. Him and PJ and Bobby…"

_Bobby…the vendor who sold us the pasta and cheese in the first place?_

"Mister Goofy, did you mean like this?" Xion asked, pushing her bowl over. Axel glanced at it. The bowl had nearly polished. The last few letters spelled out _THANK YOU._ Roxas turned his bowl over. His leftover letters spelled out _YSQJ_.

"Yeah…" Goofy said, and for a split second Axel thought he saw a tear in his eye. "Just like that."

After dinner, while Xion volunteered to do the dishes and Roxas tidied the kitchen, Goofy put his hand on Axel's shoulder. Even though Axel was way taller, it was still surprisingly strong.

"Be good to 'em. The time you get when they're little…even yours aren't so little…it goes by way too fast."

"Don't I know it," Axel nodded. "You got that right, Goofy. They're my kiddos…I hope they stay that way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this vignette a non-canon companion in particular to Rise Above the X, where Goofy plays a major role. I love Goofy and the chance for him to give parenting advice is one I will always take.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	8. Sea Salt Vignettes: Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel muses on what "home" means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Howdy, howdy, howdy! Enjoy this newest vignette!

Another day, another mission. Another mission completed, another evening spent eating a bar of ice cream and watching the sunset. Axel sighed quietly. This spot, this one little platform was the only place he felt…comfortable? Yeah…that was it. He was a Nobody…he didn't have feelings. But he knew comfort, could distinguish that at least. He was comfortable sitting on the side of the clock tower with Roxas and Xion.

"Axel, can we go home now?"

The looks on their faces was so eager…it was odd. There was an old phrase that ran through his mind— _home is where the heart is_. But they didn't have hearts. And really, what was there at the Castle that they could consider homey?

The Castle That Never Was was huge, but it was empty. Which was kind of the point, since "Never Was" and "Nothingness" and all. But really! The walls and floors and ceilings were all made of marble, except when they were made of those strange forcefield-y things. And what little furniture they had was little more than more walls. The couches were uncomfortable, the beds were hard, the lighting was constant, which hurt Axel's eyes. The one speck of color in the entire castle was that little collection of sea shells Xion had put by Roxas's bedside when he had fallen into that weird coma a few months back.

The Castle was the last place that Axel would consider a home. It wasn't that he hated the place. He couldn't feel hate. But he had his memories of a relatively tranquil childhood. And in that, he had had a home…in Radiant Garden.

What had home been back then? A place where he had lived with his parents. A father who worked in administrations somewhere. Axel couldn't remember the name of the company. A mom who worked as a greengrocer. Everything was organized and orderly, but in a good way. There was a calendar of appointments and a chore chart. There was a portrait of his parents on their wedding day. There were bookshelves, filled primarily with his father's books.

There was furniture too. He remembered a couch that was actually comfortable to sit on, and matching armchairs that his parents sat in. A coffee table, with a very large tome that Axel was fairly sure nobody had actually read.

And there was a kitchen…with table and chairs where they ate. Hand-carved. It had belonged to a great-grandparent. A fair few crinkles and dings in the wooden table had accumulated over the decades. But that made it feel all the more real. Even if it had been a pain in the neck to try to clean. And the chairs and tables were a matching set too.

There had been cabinets that matched the walls, and a hutch filled with china that they only ate from at the most special of occasions.

And…a bedroom. Something that had been entirely Axel's. Back when he'd been called Lea. A pile of comic books. His frisbees. A desk with homework that he never finished. A…stuffed animal that he had _definitely_ outgrown but it made no sense to throw away, since it wasn't actually broken.

"Axel, are you alright?"

"Fine, kiddo. Let's Return To Castle."

It was a more affectionate nickname than usual, but Axel was almost feeling sentimental. Almost. He didn't actually have feelings. He was just remembering how he once felt…back when he had a home.

oooo

"Come on, Xion, let's go home."

This was the first time that he could remember calling the Castle home, but damn it, better that Castle than this terrible one. And Xion…he wanted her. He wanted her with him, he wanted her safe, he wanted her _home_. The Castle That Never Was just wasn't the same without her. It was darker, not as bright. It had pure marble walls and shined under an impossibly large moon, and without her bright eyes and smile, without her laugh, without her six million questions, it was dark and gloomy.

And Roxas…he was retreating further and further into himself. He was angry and hurting, but they hadn't spoken to each other in a couple of days. It wasn't pretty. And it was going to end badly for all involved…but, come on, let what little time they had left be good.

Xion stared at him, her little face twisted with a mix of desire and resentment. She didn't like that he'd been keeping secrets. But she also wanted to come home. That was enough for him.

oooo

What was a home? Axel chuckled to himself as he ran a hand down the door frame. What was it? Maple? Oak? Whatever it was, it was nice.

There were a pile of shoes at the edge of the door. He could see Roxas's sneakers, Xion's boots and…those were Olette's shoes weren't they? Was a home where you could invite a friend in?

There were pictures on the walls—a few that Roxas and Xion had drawn, a crocheted emblem that Olette had made when she'd been teaching Xion the hobby, but most of the pictures were gifts from Naminé. Axel glanced in the kitchen. There were several chairs around their table, hilariously mismatched since they had bought them each at separate yard sales.

Roxas and Xion were sitting on one of the couches, flicking through the television channels. Olette was sitting on the footrest next to Axel's chair, her nose in a book. None of them looked like they had a care in the world, or that they wanted to be anywhere else.

"Hi Axel!" Xion called. "Sit next to me!"

"No!" Roxas said. "Sit next to me!"

"Sit in between them!" Olette said, not looking up from her book. "They're driving me nuts!"

It was chaotic. It was messy. But the two people he loved most in the world were there. And another half-pint who had grown close to his heart. Wherever they were…that was home. _Home is where the heart is_ was how the saying went. And his heart was Roxas and Xion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another vignette that borrows heavily from Rise Above the X. Alas, I am too fond of Olette to miss the opportunity to include her.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	9. Sea Salt Vignettes: Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel takes the kiddos out for ice cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Like I couldn't have a vignette focused on ice cream? Enjoy, my dear readers!

"Welcome, welcome to Twilight Treats!" The little old grandmotherly lady who ran his favorite ice cream shop smiled at Axel. "How lovely to see you again."

"Hey, Granny," Axel said. That was the only thing she ever actually answered to. Axel was fairly certain he had never heard her real name before. But Roxas and Xion loved her, and she loved them in return.

"Three sea-salt ice creams, please," Xion said, pulling out her little money pouch. "It's my treat, today."

"Sorry, dear," Granny said. "I'm afraid I'm down to only two bars."

"Oh…" Xion said. "Well, in that case…two for Roxas and Axel, and I'll go without today."

"Absolutely not!" Roxas protested. "I'll go without. You can have the bar of ice cream."

"Actually, dears, I don't know if you want sea-salt today anyway," Granny said. "Didn't you hear? The Clock Tower is closed."

"Gah!" Roxas and Xion said in unison. "Closed?!"

Axel was more concerned with just how common knowledge it was that the three of them ate ice cream on the Clock Tower than the fact the Tower was actually closed. Technically speaking, it wasn't trespassing (Axel had checked) but he didn't want them to get in trouble for it either. It was alright that the Clock Tower was closed; there was more than one way to eat ice cream. And for that matter, more than one flavor of ice cream to have. Over in Disneytown, they had some really weird flavors that were more fanciful than anything Twilight Town had to offer.

"Yes, closed," Granny tutted. "So you won't be watching the sunset from there, I'm afraid. But that's alright…I have something special that I think you'll like very much."

Without another word, Granny lifted up a large sundae dish and began scooping ice cream into it. Roxas and Xion stared with wide eyes as Granny added flavors they weren't that familiar with. Axel recognized raspberry and banana ice cream and his stomach began to grumble. His stomach grumbled more when she added butter pecan and triple chocolate chip…his favorite after sea salt.

"Marshmallow filling, fudge bits, caramelized apple pie filling, whipped cream…" Granny said to herself. "Banana slices, strawberries…chocolate, caramel, butterscotch…that should do it then."

It was a veritable mountain of ice cream, with at least one scoop of each flavor that Granny offered for dishes and cones. Plus one of every sort of topping…Axel's stomach grumbled more and he thought he heard Xion's munny pouch begin to cry.

"Granny…" Xion said. "How much?"

"Oh, the same price as usual, dearie," Granny said. "Three bars at twenty apiece would be sixty munny."

That wasn't nearly enough to cover the cost of the ice cream mountain, and Roxas and Xion both knew it. When they tried to offer to pay more, Granny insisted otherwise and threatened to _lower_ the price. Axel couldn't imagine what her justification was.

"These are the last bits from each container," Granny said. "Really, you're doing me a favor to be rid of them. Waste not, want not that's what my great-grandmother always used to say."

Axel nodded to Roxas and Xion and while they paid the offered price, they also emptied the entirety of the contents of their munny pouches into Granny's tip jar. Which up to that point had had only a handful of coins in it.

The ice cream dish was far too heavy for Xion to carry by herself, so Axel wound up carrying it to a nearby table where all three of them could sit.

"Alright," Axel said. "Let's dig in."

The first bites were almost cautious, especially since so many of the flavors Roxas and Xion weren't familiar with. After the first few bites, they began eating with gusto.

"Roxas, you've got to try this—I think it's blueberry!"

"Xion, this flavor…it tastes salty and sweet, but it's not sea-salt."

This went on for quite a while—there had to be over forty individual flavors of ice cream, and that wasn't factoring in the toppings. Axel felt a great warmth in his belly and he wasn't sure that was just the ice cream. Watching Roxas and Xion…heh, Roxas had a smear of ice cream on his nose and there was a streak of caramel sauce on Xion's cheek. This…this might actually be better than sea-salt ice cream and the sunset.

Though he could already tell he was going to be in for one monster of a bellyache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I never said it was gonna be focused on sea-salt ice cream, now did I? Ha, ha, ha.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	10. Sea Salt Vignettes: Journals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel finds out that Roxas and Xion are still keeping their journals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Ah, journal-keeping. A fine and noble endeavor, and perfect for a vignette!

Growing up in Radiant Garden, Axel hadn't been the best student. Sure, school was alright…but who would do homework over exploring the bailey? Or sneaking into the castle? Or playing with frisbees, which were by far the coolest toy ever, no matter what Isa the stick-in-the-mud said.

And this habit of avoiding the mundaneness that was homework, and the consequences that came from it, was thankfully, one that Axel no longer had to worry about after becoming a grown-up. And a Keybearer. Master Aqua didn't even request mission reports the way that ol' Xemnas had. So, one day, when Axel came home from the Land of Departure—Master Aqua thought he'd started growing slack in his technique and insisted he stay being—and found Roxas and Xion hunched over the kitchen table with Olette, he was naturally suspicious.

If Axel hadn't known better, then he would have sworn that Roxas and Xion were doing homework with Olette…who, for some. reason, spent more time with them than any of her other friends. Or at her own house. But he did know better—Roxas and Xion weren't enrolled in any school in Twilight Town and as smart as they were—and make no mistake of that, they were very smart—they were totally clueless about what Olette would have been studying in school.

"Write down everything," Olette said. "That was one thing those people did right. Keep a close record of everything. What you saw, what you heard, what you felt…even smell and taste. If there's something strange being cooked at the bistro, then write it down."

"Even if it's just Little Chef experimenting?"

"Especially if Little Chef is experimenting," Olette said. "I was sick for three days after the chocolate caviar omelet."

_Blech. Who in their right mind would order that?_

Roxas and Olette jumped and Xion turned bright-red. Oops, had he said that out loud? He was getting rusty. In the old days, he'd have been able to spy on people for hours and they never knew he was there.

"So what's going on here?" Axel asked, strolling over. "It doesn't sound like summer homework."

"It's…um…" Xion hesitated. "Please don't be mad, Axel."

"It was all my idea!" Olette said quickly. "They didn't have anything to do with it! Blame me, it was all me!"

"I'm not gonna get mad," Axel said. He paused for a moment. Okay, _maybe_ he might get a little angry, if they were keeping something from him. "I don't like that you're keeping secrets. So, spill it."

"We're keeping journals again," Roxas said sheepishly. "Olette's been showing us how to write it in ways that we can find the information we need when we want it."

Olette placed a hand on one book Axel hadn't noticed right away. It was small…and burned? Man, someone had really done a number on it. Almost like…he glanced at Xion, who was staring at the little burned book. It was the same size as the little book in front of Roxas. Oh…damn. That was Xion's old journal, wasn't it? When they clashed in front of the Old Mansion a thousand years ago, she must have dropped it. Man it was still around after all this time?

"You're my friends…" Olette mumbled, not meeting Axel's eye. "And I don't want anything to happen to you. And I don't want anything to get forgotten."

"Back in the Organization," Xion said. "Keeping these journals helped us develop our identities because we were always thinking about what had happened."

" _This all started a long, long, long time ago. Longer than anyone can remember. There are many worlds, but they used to be one,"_ Axel read aloud. "Wait a second…this is the Keyblade War!"

"When I said I didn't want anything to be forgotten," Olette said. "I meant it. I'm going back to the beginning. I've called Ventus and Master Aqua to hear their stories, and Sora and Kairi called me last night."

"And you're keeping this all in journals?" Axel asked. "This sounds like a lot of work."

"It's not just me," Olette said. "Hayner and Pence are helping too. And Ienzo. We don't want any data to be lost."

"Still…" Axel said. He trailed off. There was determination, almost defiance in Olette's eyes. And Roxas and Xion looked desperate for approval, and more than a little scared. They knew all too well the pain that came with losing memories.

"Alright," Axel said, pulling up a chair. He reached over to ruffle Roxas's hair and brush a lock of Xion's hair behind her ear. "Let's give it a go. Really, I can't believe you left me out of the loop for these journals. Who else could help you get this stuff memorized?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I borrow heavily from Rise Above the X. That being said, I definitely think other characters besides Jiminy Cricket would take up journal-keeping after everything that's happened.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	11. Sea Salt Vignettes: Keyblade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Guardians of Light maintain their Keyblades after a training session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hi everybody! I hope you all like this newest vignette!

"Strictly speaking, your Keyblade shouldn't undergo much damage from wear or conflict while in the Realm of Light or the Realm In-between," Master Aqua said. "With that said, regular maintenance and polish will allow strengthen both your Keyblade and your bond with it. The Keyblade, in some respects, is almost an extension of your heart. Treat it accordingly."

Axel picked up a cloth and began rubbing it against the hilt of his Keyblade, Flame Liberator. The hilt was almost exactly like one of his old chakrams…which meant that it was pointy. And tore his washcloth.

"Any advice?" Axel whispered. "This isn't as easy as it looks."

"Honestly," Ven whispered, "I think this is just something Master Eraqus had us do when he wanted us out of his hair for a few hours."

"I heard that!" Master Aqua said. "Ven, after you finish with your Keyblade, you have to…dust all the books in the library.

"Ahhh, Aqua…" Ven said. "I didn't meant it as a bad thing…"

Ven's protest was cut off as Master Aqua ruffled his hair. He grinned sheepishly and went back to his work.

Axel looked up and down the table. Every single Keybearer, even King Mickey, was here. This was the first time that Axel could remember they'd all been together since just after the Keyblade War when Sora vanished. But even with that, Sora was here too. And that meant everyone had their Keyblades.

Axel's own Keyblade was Flame Liberator. And it was the most awesome Keyblade in the history of Keyblades. Sure, it didn't really look like a key…but it was made of fire! The hilt was like his old chakram but the blade itself was a curved blade of flames. Not just a super-hot plasma beam like Xemnas's old Etheral Blade, Flame Liberator was literal fire. This made it very tricky to handle, but darn it if Axel didn't have a better handle of even Master-level magic than anyone else, even Master Aqua and King Mickey.

Beside him, Ven used Wayward Wind. It was a nice enough Keyblade, but it was kind of oddly shaped. But then again, Ven held it backwards. The handle was much longer compared to the length of the rest of the Keyblade. But hey, different strokes for different folks. Ven sure seemed to like using it.

On Axel's other side, Sora and Xion were sitting next to each other. They had spent quite a bit of time together lately. Made sense, since they both used the Kingdom Key. Their Keyblade was simple in its design. A simple golden handle, with a silver blade. And it actually looked like a real key. It suited them, since they both had a habit of opening their ways through people's hearts. Complete strangers would become friends in a matter of minutes with those two. Axel would have thought that Xion would customize her Keyblade with any of the six zillion Keychains Sora and Roxas had collected to modify its shape, but she said she liked using Replica Kingdom Key. It made her feel closer to Sora, who had apparently decided that Xion was his unofficial little sister.

Across from Sora and Xion was Roxas, who was having quite a time trying to tend to his _two_ Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion. They were originally Sora and Ven's…Axel still was a little shaky on how Roxas was able to use two Keyblades now, since Ven and Sora were both awake, but he'd worry about that another time. Oathkeeper and Oblivion were almost completely opposite from one another. Oathkeeper was long and thin and a shiny gold-white. Its teeth were pointy. Oblivion was . But the meaning behind them…a kept promise and a return from nothingness. Those fit Roxas as well as anything Axel could think of.

On the far end of the table, Terra sat with his Keyblade, Ends of the Earth. Now that was a mouthful of a name for a Keyblade. And it was huge, much longer and with much wider teeth than anyone else's Keyblade. But it suited Terra just fine—physically, he was way stronger than anyone else, and it supplemented his earth-based magic. It reminded Axel of Aeleus, who as Lexaeus had used a similarly large weapon and magic. And come to think of it, Aeleus had a quiet demeanor and liked using big words, the same as Terra.

Across from Terra were Riku and Kairi. Riku's Keyblade was, apart from Flame Liberator, the least Key-shaped Keyblade that Axel had ever seen…unless they counted car keys, but most of the Guardians couldn't drive. That said, Braveheart had fantastic balance and duality, which fit Riku—Mister Completely-Mastered-Darkness—like a glove. Kairi's Keyblade, Destiny's Embrace, was almost a complete opposite. It was flowery and half the handle was literally water and it was a veritable explosion of color. Despite this seemingly fragile appearance, Kairi's Keyblade, and Kairi herself, were far stronger than they looked.

Master Aqua and King Mickey stood, their own Keyblades in hand. King Mickey held another Kingdom Key, like Sora and Xion. But his was all blue with itty bitty golden stars. King Mickey had said he had fused his own golden Kingdom Key from the Realm of Darkness with his Star Seeker from the Realm of Light…Axel wasn't sure _how_ that worked, but King Mickey was a mage on par with Yen Sid, so he wouldn't question it. Master Aqua held the Master's Defender. It was a simple design, almost like the Kingdom Keys, but longer and a considerably darker color, but it boasted great resilience.

So many different Keyblades…Axel mused to himself as he continued to tend to Flame Liberator. But then, there were so many different people. And yet, their Keyblades suited them all so perfectly. He wasn't too proud to admit that he was the least experienced with a Keyblade—even Kairi had a teeny bit more experience than he did. But then again…was that really so bad? There was so much more to learn about Keyblades…he would meet it in time. And one day, it would be him giving the lectures on Keyblade instructon. Keyblade Master Axel. He liked the sound of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must say, I like the sound of "Keyblade Master Axel" very much myself.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers.


	12. Sea Salt Vignettes: Lea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel muses on who he used to be...and maybe he still is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Let it be said, my dear readers, that you'll always have a vignette to read from me. Like this one!

Lea. That had been his name, once upon a time. A time when he had lived in Radiant Garden. As a cocky teenager who was quick to pick a fight and quick to make friends, Lea had snuck into Ansem the Wise's castle. Ansem, to his credit, hadn't known it at the time, but his apprentices were taking part in twisted experiments, many of them centered on that one girl. Lea, and his buddy Isa, had resolved to free her, only for her to have vanished and then they were captured and then they lost their hearts…

It wasn't until Axel sacrificed himself, put his entire being into an attack to save Sora's scrawny neck from about a bazillion Dusks. He'd burned every last one of them to nothingness, because Axel was awesome, but he'd pushed too hard…and faded away. He'd thought that would be the end of it, but low and behold, he woke up. Him and the rest of Ansem's apprentices. They were people again. Ienzo and Even and Aeleus and Dilan.

Strictly speaking, his name was still Lea. He had corrected King Mickey and Riku and Master Yen Sid and Ienzo about this. A lot. But they still kept calling him "Axel," so he decided to hell with it. He couldn't really blame them for the mix-up. If you answer to something every day for ten years, how could you judge someone for failing to call you anything different?

Though Dilan certainly hadn't liked it when Axel had slipped up and called him "Xaldin," even if it had only been the one time. Once had turned out to be enough. After that, the apprentices hadn't slipped up calling him "Lea."

But then, Axel had trained with Kairi and although he tried to get her to call him "Lea," because that's who he thought he was, and because it was to help put distance between their somewhat rocky past. Which was a polite way of saying Axel had once kidnapped Kairi. Even if he had intended to give her back, he had still kidnapped her. And she had kicked and punched and bit him. A lot.

After they had smoothed things out…things were still kind of weird. Forgiveness aside—and Kairi it turned out was very forgiving—it was weird hearing her call him "Lea." And why was that? Lea was here, Axel was no more. Axel had been burned up and faded away into nothing and then his destroyed body reformed around his released heart.

But then again, it didn't change how he felt. And wasn't that a huge part of what a heart was? Being able to feel? Being able to contemplate and muse and wonder and want? And Lea realized he preferred it when Kairi called him "Axel." It just sounded natural coming out of her mouth. And when she said "Axel," it tended to make her smile, and he liked making her smile. And after all, weren't they trying to get Roxas and Naminé back? They didn't know "Lea," but they did know "Axel."

(This was probably the biggest part of it. The ones they'd lost knew him as Axel. Roxas and Naminé and though nobody realized it at the time, Xion too. And he had wanted them back).

That day in the Keyblade Graveyard…he'd He had stared down his old Superior…Xemnas. The one who had branded him with the Sigil, and told him he now bore the name "Axel."

_You have any idea how popular I am? I got loads of people rooting for me. Sorry, boss. No one axes Axel. Got it memorized?_

And then after that, Xemnas had knocked him down again. And it looked like Axel was gonna get axed after all, until a tiny hand grabbed Xemnas's ethereal blade. Xion…who got her memories back after Xemnas threw a fit and kicked her into Sora. And right before Xemnas was going to use his blade on Xion, Roxas had returned.

Roxas and Xion…the ones who had known him as Axel. His two best friends. The three of them together…they had stared down Xemnas. And from their chests…the Sigils. The same ones Xemnas had branded them with. The Sigils faded with Xemnas…but the name had lingered…

Really, when you got down to it, had Lea ever really gone away? The only reason he was called Axel was because he had been branded by Xemnas. It wasn't like with Roxas the Zombie. He had had his memories. And sure, the first days were fuzzy and huge chunks of it were so boring that Axel couldn't remember them specifically, but that had more to do with how much the Organization sucked then any real absence from Axel's state of mind.

Was he Lea or was he Axel? Both? Did it really matter?

"Hi Axel!" Roxas and Xion said in unison. "We're home!"

Axel…home…that was answer enough.

 _Axel_ was a cooler name than _Lea_ anyhow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must admit, I go back and forth on whether or not Axel would actually go back to using "Lea" on a permanent basis. The events of Re:Mind however, put Axel as predominant in my mind. I swear, I didn't intend the pun.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	13. Sea Salt Vignettes: Moogles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel meets Moogles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hi kupo! Enjoy this newest vignette, kupo!

"I gotta admit, you're one of the last people I ever expected to see again," Axel said. "When Roxas and Xion said they saw you, I had to come investigate for myself."

"Nor did I expect to see you, kupo!" The Moogle said in his little voice. "What wares of mine catch your eye today?"

Back in the old days, back in the Organization, there had been a single Moogle that had sold various magical attachments and accessories to anyone who was willing to buy from him. In short order, due to its outrageous prices, almost everyone stopped buying from him. Everyone except Roxas and Xion, who, at the time, were too clueless to realize they were being fleeced, paying double or even triple what they could get from shopkeepers in Twilight Town for the same goods.

"I'm not buying," Axel said. "Not yet anyway. So Moogle, are you here by yourself? I know you guys usually have three or four to one of your little forges."

"Er…it is just I, today, kupo," The Moogle squeaked. "Nobody but I. Now, how may I take your munny, er, what would you like to buy?"

Moogles didn't have eyes or lips any discernible facial features whatsoever, but Axel knew when he was being lied to. The Moogle was nearly as bad a liar as Roxas and Xion were.

"Gloomex! Who is this?" A second, slightly larger Moogle hovered up to the window of the shop. "Hello, how are you?"

"Fine," Axel answered. "I just want to make sure my kids aren't getting taken advantage of…wait, Gloomex? You always said your name was of no importance!"

"And with regards to business, it was not," Gloomex said. "Now I assure you that the little girl is not getting faulty products…"

"That's what you said when you gave her an expired Elixir last year," Axel said. "I remember, Moogle."

"WHAT?!" The larger Moogle squeaked. "That could have made her very ill indeed! That is not at all the calling of a Moogle!"

"And Roxas and Xion are still shopping with you," Axel said. "I want to make sure that doesn't happen again!"

"It won't! It won't! It won't!" Goomlex insisted. "Moogle's honor!"

"What won't?" Xion asked. "Hi, Axel! Hello, Mister Moogle. I have my munny for the bracelets."

She reached into her munny pouch while Gloomex went behind the window, to the forge. He was back a moment later with three plain bracelets.

"What are these?" Axel said. "Xion…"

"Friendship bracelets," Xion said. "One for you, one for Roxas and one for me!"

"How much did you pay for these?" Axel said. "They look…well, they don't look like proper armor."

"Er…they are meant to be ornamental…" Xion said. "2000 each…is that too much? I know it's a lot more than ice cream…"

 _"_ _WHAT?!"_ The larger Moogle, who Axel realized he still didn't know the name of, shrieked. "That's not…kupo, did you find these materials for the bracelets yourself?"

"Yep!" Xion said. "Took a week of fighting Heartless to get the pieces I needed, and then Gloomex said he could do it for a fee…"

"We're not supposed to charge if the kupo provides the materials!" A third Moogle, larger than the others and with a surprisingly deep voice, said. "This is the most sacred of Moogle Morals! You have violated our code!"

"Gloomex should be ashamed of himself!" A fourth, tiny Moogle squealed. "You are going to pay back the little kupo right now!"

"He hasn't actually taken my munny yet, sir?" Xion said. "Axel…"

Before Axel could say anything to reassure her, the Moogles had ganged up on Gloomex. Above his squeaking protests, they hoisted him above their tiny shoulders. The largest Moogle carried Gloomex away, saying something about how he was on scrubbing duty until further notice.

"A thousand apologies," The first Moogle who had shown up said. "Rest assured, I will not allow you to leave empty-handed. No charge for you at all."

"Thank you…" Xion said, taking the three bracelets. "Um…Axel?"

"Thanks kiddo," Axel said. He took the bracelet. It was plain copper, with simple beads that spelled out the word _Axel._

"You don't have to wear it in public," Xion said. "It's just…Kairi mentioned that she and Naminé wear matching bracelets, and it sounded really nice and…"

Axel ruffled her hair, the beads on the bracelet pressing against her scalp. Xion began to giggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a soft spot for Moogles, but I can't imagine any of them would like the Organization Moogle very much. I know that Gloomex is more of a fandom name than anything else, but hey, it fits.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	14. Sea Salt Vignettes: Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel, Roxas and Xion all struggle with nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hello and welcome, my dear readers! Consider this latest vignette a companion to "Dreams."

_Axel is in the Keyblade Graveyard. Xemnas has Sora and Kairi trapped in those icky bindings that are sapping their energy. And Saix…Isa…Saix…he has gone Berserk. Channeling the power of the moon, he is far stronger, but has far less restraint. Axel cannot afford any mistakes. Sure, there is nobody who can axe Axel, but Sora and Kairi are another story._

_And it isn't just them. He also has to worry about Roxas and Xion…he's only just gotten them back. He's lost them both, due to that bastard Xemnas, but here they are now. His family is together again. And they are fighting, for the first time in far too long. Roxas even has his classic two Keyblades. And Xion…he'd forgotten her entirely. As if she'd never existed. But she does exist. As real as he is._

_They have to fight. They have to get Sora and Kairi back. Man, rescuing Sora was becoming old hat for Axel, but all the better. If he did it once, he can do it again._

_"_ _Watch your friends fade away into nothing!" Xemnas shouts and then Saix charges them. Axel responds with his Keyblade, changing it into chakrams. It's funny. The last time Axel and Saix fought, it was over Kairi. Axel had been trying to rescue her from the Organization's clutches._

_Man, history really liked repeating itself. Chakram meets claymore and neither he nor Saix yield even a teeny bit._

_Xemnas sent out more of those icky nothingness bindings but Roxas and Xion were able to get away from them. Good, good._

_They run and Xemnas follows. But the spell binding Sora and Kairi doesn't give, and it's hurting them. Xemnas isn't going to consciously let them go, so Axel is going to have to kill him. That's going to break the spell._

_"_ _Roxas, Xion…let's take what's—augh!"_

_He stood still a second too long. That's all it took for Xemnas to close the distance and slice his back with his Etheral Blade. Axel drops like a sack of potatoes. Roxas and Xion cry out and try to fight but then Saix slams down his claymore knocking them to the ground. Axel tries to get to them, but Xemnas steps in front of him again._

_"_ _I told you to wait your turn, also-ran…" Xemnas says. "First…the puppet."_

_He summoned his Etheral Blade and…he stabs Xion in the leg, burning her knee so she can't run, can't walk, can't crawl. She screams._

_"_ _Axel! Help me! It hurts!"_

_No…he couldn't let it happen. Not again…not his sweet little Xion…Axel raises a hand, but Saix slams his claymore down on Axel's wrist. Axel feels bones break._

_"_ _Augggggh!" Roxas shouts as Xemnas takes his blades and slices the heads off of Roxas's Keyblades. Desperately, he swings his Keyblade only for Xemnas to dodge effortlessly. He teleports and then…sticks a blade through Roxas's chest._

_No! No! No! No!_

_Roxas and Xion were down. Roxas and Xion were dying. Xemnas was taking his time with it, that sicko. He waved his hands again, and those awful plasma bullets appeared. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. The same attack that had beaten Axel…Xemnas was going to use it on his kiddos._

_"_ _Relish the hurt in the heart you cling so tight to, traitor!"_

_"_ _Axel, help us!"_

_There were so many flashing bullets of plasma striking them from every angle. First, they scream. Then, they cry. Axel could smell burning flesh and fabric. He had to get to them. His hand doesn't work anymore but that's not a problem, so long as he can get to them. They need him._

_But there's so many explosions as the plasma hits Roxas and Xion, Axel can't see them. Finally, the explosions cease…but Roxas and Xion aren't there. Just two little black robes, and smoke's rising from them. No…_

_"_ _AXEL!"_

_Kairi. And Sora. Axel can't fail them. Not like he failed Roxas and Xion. No…no…no…Kairi and Sora are still trapped in Xemnas's icky bindings. And they don't look good at all. Gaunt and haggard and their hair is limp…_

_Sora…he's fading away. He's dissolving. He's turning into dust._

_"_ _Axel…" Kairi's barely conscious. And then it isn't Xemnas or Saix who's with her. It's Master Xehanort. He cackles as he summons his big, ugly Keyblade and slices Kairi through the spine. And she shatters…_

xxxx

Axel woke up in a cold sweat. He didn't get nightmares often but when he did…ohh, they tended to be doozies.

The Graveyard. Roxas and Xion dying. Sora and Kairi dying. But that wasn't what happened.

Axel ran his hands against his face and through his hair. He took a deep breath and then a second one. He felt his heartbeat slowly return to what was almost normal. Okay…okay…he wasn't in the Graveyard. He was in his room. His room in Twilight Town. In the house he owned (!), in Twilight Town. Axel licked his lips. They felt very dry.

He needed a drink of water. A nice drink of cold water. That would hit the spot. And then he'd go back to bed.

Axel walked slowly to the bathroom. There was no hurry. It wasn't going anywhere. A drink of water, splash some on his face. Maybe run a little through his hair—some of the spikes were sticking up funny.

Axel blinked in surprise. Wait a second, why was the bathroom door closed? He felt a knot forming in his stomach. Cautiously, Axel cracked the door open.

There was a small figure, crouched in a ball, backed into the corner of the bathroom. Shaking…with fear, maybe? A black t-shirt and grey pajama pants. Short, black hair and bare feet. Xion.

"Kiddo?"

Xion looked up, her face streaked with tears. Her shoulders trembled. The knot in Axel's stomach tightened.

"Xion?"

Xion's lip quivered and she gave a small sob. She pressed her head against her knees and her sobs became more ragged.

Axel covered the distance between them in three steps and scooped Xion up. He pressed her to his chest and Xion's sobs became harsher.

"Easy, easy…" Axel whispered. "It's alright, Xion. You're safe."

"I'm sorry…" Xion cried. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"You didn't wake me up, sweetheart," Axel said. He rarely used pet names other than "kiddo," but sometimes, you needed something more affectionate. "Honey, it's okay."

"It isn't…I hurt you," Xion said. "In the Graveyard…I hurt you and Kairi…"

"Is that what your nightmare was about?"

Xion nodded and her eyes filled with tears again. Oh boy…what was he going to do?

There was a knock on the bathroom door. Axel turned his head. Roxas was standing there. His hair was an absolute mess…not that it wasn't always, but this was way more messier than usual. And his eyes were haunted and red…he'd been crying too.

Two kiddos with nightmares? Okay, this was more than the bathroom could handle—there wasn't room for all three of them anyway.

"Everybody on the couch."

xxxx

The three of them sat on the couch in the living room. Xion had brought her blanket from her room, and Axel had found a quilt from the linen closet big enough to cover all of them. In a change from their usual seating arrangement, Axel sat in the middle, with Roxas and Xion on either side. He had an arm around Xion's shoulders, holding her close. He had his other arm pressed gently to Roxas's back. Roxas was breathing deeply, slowly.

"Another dream about him," Roxas said quietly. "I dreamed that Sora was killed by Xehanort…at Kingdom Hearts."

"I dreamed about the Graveyard," Xion mumbled. "About fighting Axel and Kairi. And…fighting Roxas, that last day…"

Axel tightened his hug around both the kiddos. So many nightmares…man, sometimes it seemed they'd never get free of their pasts.

"They're just dreams, guys…" Axel said, remembering something he'd read in a parenting magazine a few weeks before, when Roxas and Xion had had dental appointments. "They're not real. They can't hurt you."

"Xehanort hurt Sora in his dreams," Xion said. "Back before you got your Keyblade?"

"Um, yeah, but that was Xehanort," Axel said. "He cheated. And he was a messed up…jerk. But he's gone now. He can't hurt you and he can't hurt Sora and he can't hurt Kairi."

"Yeah…" Roxas said. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Axel said. "He's toast. And I'm here to take down anything that would try to really get you. So…it's late, guys. Really late. Let's try and get some sleep."

"Do we have to go back up to our room?" Xion asked. "It's comfy here."

Oh, right. Xion liked being comfy. And she liked to cuddle. Maybe it was because she was the smallest, or because she was the only girl, or maybe Vexen had secretly made her part koala, but Xion liked to hug and cuddle and snuggle.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Axel said. He raised his head to ruffle her hair and then patted her gently on the back, as she tried to position herself so that she could lie down. Xion eventually decided to use Axel's lap for a pillow.

"You're so bony," Xion mumbled. A minute later, she was fast asleep.

Roxas wasn't half so cuddly as Xion, or at least he was more reluctant to admit it. But the grateful way he smiled at Axel…he was going to enjoy this too.

With Roxas pressed against his chest and Xion snuggled in his lap, Axel found himself much more at peace.

Roxas and Xion were here. Roxas and Xion were alive. Roxas snored and Xion giggled in her sleep. This wasn't a nightmare. This was real life. And it was better than anything Axel could have ever have dreamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told ya it was a companion to "Dreams." Ironically, this one was actually written first.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	15. Sea Salt Vignettes: Organization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua and Axel discuss her role as a leader and what steps she should take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Here we are, my dear readers! Enjoy!

The world of Twilight Town, existing in the exact center of the Realm Between, was, with the possible exception of Radiant Garden, perhaps the second most knowledgable world in regards to Keybearers. Three made this world a permanent home, and there were others who were frequent guests. Twilight Town being what it was, what had been long-held rules regarding World Order were much more like "suggestions."

And it was at the ubiquitous Clock Tower, the tallest, most iconic building in Twilight Town that one of the permanent residents and one of the guests were meeting.

"Gotta say, I'm surprised," Axel said. "Don't usually see you on the Clock Tower."

"I wanted to speak to you privately," Aqua said. "And check in on my students."

"Right, Master Aqua," Axel said. "So, what is this, a parents-teacher's conference?"

"I don't know what that is," Aqua said, and for a moment, Axel was reminded that Aqua was almost as clueless as Roxas and Xion when it came to regular stuff. "But I need your help."

"About what?" Axel said. "Stuff that's common knowledge?"

"Tell me about the Organization," Aqua said, and this was in her Master voice. "Don't leave out any details."

"Why would you want to know about that?" Axel asked. "That's about as icky as you can get. And I'm happy to put that stuff behind me."

"That's the point," Aqua said. "I need to know what to do to make sure I put even more distance between the Organization and the others."

"Others?" Axel said. "Ah, you mean my kiddos."

Far below the Tower, Axel could see Roxas and Xion running around with Ven. Their regular friends were there too—Hayner, Pence and Olette. Axel wasn't sure what they were playing—judging from their positions, whatever it was, it was Boys Against Girls. Xion and Olette still looked like they were winning.

"Yes…I've had concerns," Aqua said. "I'm worried about them. And about Terra. I don't want to drudge up old memories, even by accident."

"Yeah…" Axel scratched the back of his head. "I didn't realize Terra had Xemnas's memories. I figured most of it went back to Xehanort."

"It's not just what he has leftover from Xemnas, however much that might be," Aqua said. "You might have forgotten, but Terra's heart was trapped in that awful Guardian…he saw an awful lot of awful things."

"Alright, you've made your point," Axel said. "Well…I'll tell you this much. The fact that you're worried about this in the first place is a credit to your character."

"I appreciate the compliment," Aqua said. "But I prefer specifics. Tell me, what steps should I take?"

"Well…the Organization stifled us," Axel said. "If we didn't do everything perfectly, we'd be lectured. Sometimes badly."

"Master Eraqus would lecture us…" Aqua said. "He was strict…but he loved us."

"I'm not saying correcting someone when they make a mistake is wrong," Axel said. "The trick is to not embarrass them. Xemnas and Saix were awful to Roxas and especially Xion. They'd make huge scenes of telling them how they messed up. And I lost count the number of times that Xemnas threatened to turn Xion into a Dusk."

"They…they could have done that?" Aqua gasped, horrified. "But the Dusks…they're barely sentient."

"Oh, they're aware enough of their surroundings," Axel said. "One of them even made friends with Xion, back in the day. He would get her flowers…but that's not really the point. Don't scare 'em, don't embarrass them. Don't hurt them. Your Master ever hurt you when you messed up?"

"Never!" Aqua said forcefully. _Too forcefully_. She wasn't being entirely honest. "The Master never hurt us…"

"Then follow that example," Axel said. "No kiddo should ever be afraid of their teachers."

"What else did the Organization do that was…bad?" Aqua asked.

"Well, we only had one vacation day a year," Axel said. "Which sucked. Eventually, you work so much, you burn out, you know?"

"Yes…" Aqua said. "Master Eraqus was always careful that we not over-exert ourselves. He became more demanding as we grew older, but it wasn't until…"

"Everything went to hell that you actually realized that saving the worlds is really stinking hard?" Axel said. "Yeah, I figured that one out the hard way too. There's no amount of training that really prepares you for the real world."

"Master Eraqus said the same thing…" Aqua said. "It was one of the reasons he wanted Ventus to stay home."

Axel had never gotten the chance to meet Eraqus, but he'd heard the stories from Aqua and Ven. In spite of his zeal to destroy the darkness (and really, considering how Xehanort was such a bastard, could you really blame him), he had done right by his students.

"Just…let them be," Axel said. "Remember that Roxas and Xion…they're kids. They're younger than Ventus, way younger really. And that goes for Ven as well. Let him be."

They stared out in silence for several minutes. While they were silent, they took in the sounds of Twilight Town. The electric clanking and hum of the trams. The chugging of the trains. The chatter of shoppers and storekeepers. The cries of excitement from children playing Struggle matches. Axel inhaled deeply, and then found…a blue sea-salt ice cream being waved in his face.

"You guys!" Roxas said. "You came all the way up here, but you forgot the best part!"

"The icing on the cake!" Xion said. "We brought enough for everyone."

Roxas and Xion sat on either side of Axel, Xion squeezing between him and Aqua. Ven sat on Aqua's other side, with two ice creams in his hands. Heh, usually it was Roxas who dual-wielded.

"Yeah…" Aqua said. She reached out her free hand to ruffle Ven's hair. "Let them be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The potential for a dynamic between Aqua and Axel is one that isn't explored very often, so I decided to give it a shot.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	16. Sea Salt Vignettes: Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> What can I say? I was hungry when I thought of this vignette. Enjoy!

Mmm…autumn always smelled delicious, regardless of the world. And Twilight Town was no exception. Axel could smell apple cobblers and apple crisps and apple pies and fresh apple cider. Roasted turkeys and homemade dressings. Buttternut squash and pumpkins…mmmm…

Axel walked as slowly as he could without obstructing the flow of foot traffic. Back in the Organization he had spent so much time neglecting his own feelings that his senses had dulled too. And the joy that came with something so simple as a leisurely walk down the market had become so alien, he'd nearly forgotten entirely. And even after he had made friends with Roxas and Xion, the only sweets they had ever eaten were bars and bars and bars of sea salt ice cream.

"Man…" Axel said, more to himself than anyone in particular. "This brings back memories…"

"Hi Axel!"

That wasn't the voice of one of his own kiddos. It was one of the locals. Axel smiled. That didn't mean they weren't welcome company.

"Hi, Olette."

Olette, wearing a thick scarf and orange sweater, ran up to him. She smiled warmly and for a moment, she looked strikingly like Kairi. Which was peculiar, since they didn't look much alike at all, and did not have similar mannerisms. But Axel would wonder about that another time.

"Don't you just love this time of year?" Olette asked. "So many wonderful treats…what are Roxas and Xion's favorites?"

"They…uh…wouldn't know," Axel admitted. "This is their first proper autumn."

"Oh…oh, yeah," Olette said quietly. "Sorry, I forgot."

"Don't apologize," Axel said. "Really, do you know what it means that you like them so much that you forgot the icky stuff?"

"Um…" Olette said. "Well, they're my friends. And I don't really care what happened in the past. They're my friends…"

"Whatever," Axel said. "So, I was thinking, what would you recommend? I was thinking I'd try and bake something with the half-pints."

"Oh!" Olette said. "I was thinking the same thing actually, that's why I asked you what they liked best in the first place…well…my favorite is pumpkin."

"Pumpkin pie?" Axel asked. "It's good, but it's a tad early in the season for that, isn't it?"

"No," Olette shook her head. "Pumpkin-chocoloate chip cookies!"

xxxx

Picking up the flour and the sugar and the pumpkin puree and the chocolate chips had been easy enough. Teaching Roxas and Xion how to bake had been…more difficult.

It wasn't that they were unwilling. Oh, heavens no, they were very enthusiastic. But in that enthusiasm…there were ingredients in virtually every corner of the kitchen. And on a fair chunk of Axel.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Xion said, standing on her toes to try and wipe a smear of chocolate off of Axel's chin. "I didn't mean to!"

"I know you didn't, kiddo," Axel grinned evilly and ruffled her hair. "Better chocolate on the chin than flour in the hair."

"Hey!" Xion squealed. "Not my hair!"

"Alright," Roxas said, spooning the last of the batter onto the cookie tray. "So…the recipe says they'll bake in ten minutes."

"And that we have enough for…sixty-four cookies," Xion added, trying to get the last bits of flour out of her hair. "So that's twenty-one for each of us, and one left over…you can have it, Axel. You're the biggest."

"Sounds good to me," Axel said. "And in the meantime, we can get this cleaned up."

"Right…" Roxas said. "I guess I overdid the stirring a bit."

"There's pumpkin on the ceiling," Axel said. "I think that qualifies as over-doing it, just a tad."

Axel grinned widely, to reassure Roxas he wasn't angry. It was hardly his fault the mixer had been so volatile. Xion had her back to them, scrubbing one of the counters. Axel reached over and grabbed her around the middle.

"What!" Xion shrieked. "Axel, that tickles!"

"Hold still," Axel said. He knew very well how ticklish Xion was, so he'd have to be careful. Slowly, he lifted her higher, "I can't reach the ceiling."

Axel dodged one of Xion's kicking legs and pushed her further upward, so she could wash the bits of pureed pumpkin of the ceiling. How the half-pints were still so tiny, after all this time, he didn't care to think about. But he did prefer holding Xion up to clean the ceiling rather than have one of them balance precariously on a step-ladder. He liked holding onto his half-pints. It was just one of those things.

Clean-up turned out not to be as big a problem as he thought, and the next thing Axel knew, he was on the couch, sandwiched the two half-pints, with three plates of cookies in front of them.

"Mmmm…" Roxas said. "It's sweeter than sea-salt ice cream."

"The pumpkin's chewy but the chocolate's crunchy," Xion said. "Is that how it is with all the best foods, Axel? They're two different things?"

"Eh, sort of," Axel said. Roxas leaned against his shoulder. Xion pressed against his side. And his belly was full of cookies. It didn't get much better than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, I was hungry when I thought this up!
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	17. Sea Salt Vignettes: Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas and Xion still have six zillion questions about everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> How are you today, my dear readers?

In some ways, it was comforting the way some things remained the same, even after everything that had happened. Even with the Keyblade War and the machinations of Organization XIII, there were still constants. The same little old lady that liked being called Granny ran the ice cream shop, as she had done for years. Scrooge McDuck still traveled the worlds to open more businesses than anyone else ever. People lived and loved and started families. And Roxas and Xion badgered Axel with their six zillion questions.

This was actually one of Axel's favorite things about his half-pints. He hadn't been the best student when he was a kid—as Isa never failed to mention when they were growing up—but he relished the opportunity to tell them stuff they didn't know. Unfortunately, the kiddos were smarter than he sometimes gave them credit for. As time went on, they began asking harder questions. Sometimes, he thought they did it on purpose.

"Axel," Xion said, between bites of her ice cream, "Why do trees grow here?"

"What?" Axel asked. "What do you mean? Like how do trees grow in the first place? Well…plants breath in a gas called carbon dioxide and they use sunlight to make plant food. It's kind of complicated, but there's this thing called chlorophyll and—"

"No, I understand how trees grow," Xion said. "What I mean what how do they grow here, in Twilight Town? The sun doesn't shine in the right way for photosynthesis to work."

"Oh…" Axel said. "That's actually a good question, kiddo. I'm not sure…but now that I think about it, the shadows move here. So maybe the setting sun is an illusion."

"Maybe…" Xion said. "But it does make me think. There's so many worlds…but they all have the same sky. It just…seemed odd. Maybe I'm just over-thinking."

"Could be," Roxas said, polishing off his ice cream. "But who says that's a bad thing?"

"Is that a question you want me to answer?" Axel asked. "Because I'll tell you this now, anyone who makes you feel bad for thinking is not someone you want to listen to. You have big brains, so you should use them as much as possible."

Xion didn't say anything, but she did smile as she finished off her own ice cream. With one potential problem taken care of, before it even really became a problem, Axel felt a rush of satisfaction that vanished as he glanced at his ice cream. Ew, it was almost melted. He'd been so distracted by Xion's question that he had forgotten about it.

"What I'd like to know is why some birds fly south," Roxas said. "And why others stay put."

"That's easy," Axel said. "Some birds migrate south for the winter because that's where the food is. There's more food down south than there is here, under all the snow that's gonna be coming."

"But why…what do they think about when they're migrating?" Roxas asked. "Suppose some of them didn't want to, but knew they had to. What if they had a choice?"

Leave it to Roxas to get philosophical about whether or not migratory birds had free will. Axel remembered studying that in school…something about magnetic poles? Like there was something that forced the birds to fly south. Man, when you put it that way…

"Ooooh," Xion said. "Look! There's the tram! Axel, how does a tram stay on its track?"

"Er…it has to do with…magnets, I think? Or there's a third rail it's stuck to that we can't see," Axel said. "You guys are asking some tough ones today."

"You've answered them, though," Xion said, her big blue eyes blinking at Axel with admiration and curiosity. "That's what you've always done. Or have you been guessing the last few times?

"That settles it…" Axel said. "What the two of you need is library cards."

"What's a library card?" Roxas and Xion asked in unison.

Okay, how on earth is that question anything but on purpose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really, what would a series of Sea Salt Trio vignettes be without one devoted to Questions?
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	18. Sea Salt Vignettes: Roxas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel and Roxas go out for ice cream, and Axel realizes just how much Roxas means to Twilight Town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Hello, my dearest readers. Please enjoy this vignette, devoted to our very own Roxas!

Roxas. Now there was a long story if ever there was one. And really, the story of Roxas was as much the story of Axel.

First and foremost, Roxas was his best friend. Some might think it was weird that he was best friends with a clueless teenager who had been an amnesiac zombie for about the first week of his life. And was still largely clueless, though not very zombie-like. But Axel didn't really care what anybody else thought. Roxas was his best friend and that was that.

It hadn't always been easy. Roxas did **not** like not knowing things. Or more specifically, he didn't like things being kept from him. It was one thing to not know how electric trams worked or why the sun set red (both of which Axel had been able to explain, and turned out Roxas didn't particularly care). It was another not to have any memories of your human life or to not know _why_ everyone was so invested in your ability to wield a Keyblade. And when it came to keeping secrets in regards to your best friend's health, and by extent, whether they'd even be able to exist…things got icky. Due in no small part to Axel's own secret-keeping, Roxas had been forced to return to Sora.

But that was the past. Now, Axel was going to do good by Roxas. Help the kid get the life he had always dreamed of. And part of that life was having regular contact with Sora.

To be more specific, Sora and Kairi and Naminé had come for a visit and Xion was in the process of being "kidnapped" since Kairi had realized that Xion had never had her nails done.

"Girls' day out!" Kairi insisted, grabbing Xion's arm. "Come on, Xion! It's gonna be so much fun!"

"But why can't Roxas come with us?"

"Because it's a day for sisters! " Naminé said, grabbing Xion's other arm. "And you're my little sister too, because Kairi's the big sister and she says so!"

"But why does Sora get to come with us?"

"Because I'm the big sister and I say so," Kairi said. "Because we need someone big and strong and handsome to carry our bags, and Sora would get lost otherwise!"

"Would not!" Sora protested. "Hey…is that a new stop sign?"

Roxas gave a bark of laughter as they watched Kairi and Naminé tug Xion along. As Xion waved sheepishly good-bye, Sora shrugged and followed them, holding Kairi's other hand.

"So, looks like it's just us today, Roxas," Axel said. "Just like the old days, eh?"

"Yep," Roxas said. "I can't even remember the last time it was just the two of us."

Funny thing was, this _was_ the first time it had just been the two of them In a while, at least the last couple of months. They were usually training. And when they weren't training, they were working. The days off they had were usually spent between the three of them.

"So…now what?"

"I was hoping you'd have something in mind," Roxas said. "But while you think of it, how 'bout ice cream?"

Ah, some things never changed.

xxxx

"So you've had a few…jobs," Roxas said. "For Aqua and Terra right?"

Axel nodded. They weren't that different from "missions," in a technical sense, but Roxas and Xion both preferred thinking of them as "jobs." It was a way to distance themselves from the Organization. Terra for his part was happy to oblige.

"I've been here and there," Axel said. "Some of the old worlds we used to look at, some new ones."

"Right," Roxas said. "And you're learning to use your Keyblade more?"

"It's still gonna take me a while to get the hang of it, Mister Dual-wielder."

"Yeah, yeah—"

"Roxas!"

Axel and Roxas turned. A heavy-set man with thick brown hair was jogging towards them.

"Mister Yanushi," Roxas said politely. "Is everything alright?"

"Better than alright! Things are grand! My boy, the gardens have never looked better," Yanushi said as he shook Roxas's hand. "I'm not sure what you've done, but it's as if they're growing by magic!"

"Er," Axel said. "Mind filling me in?"

"Why, you must be Axel!" Yanushi said, grabbing Axel's hand, wringing it. "You're his guardian yes? Your boy helped my crew clean out three vacant lots back at the beginning of the growing season. After that, he set up the soil and fertilizer and helped plant the vegetables for the community gardens! He waters the plants every two days, and they've been sprouting up like nothing I've ever seen. He's done a tremendous job. You should be proud."

Roxas's ears turned red and stammered a thank you and Yanushi walked off chortling. Well…that was weird. Axel wasn't surprised that Roxas was doing odd jobs around town, but still, to make a scene like that, it must be pretty impressive.

They had walked a few blocks more when a young woman came running up to them, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"There you are, Roxas!"

"Oh, hi Jessie," Roxas said, his face reddening even further. "How are things as the shop?"

"Wonderful since you helped with the inventory!"

"Inventory?" Axel asked. "Beg pardon?"

"Oh, right—say, you're Roxas's big brother right?"

"Something like that," Axel said. "Kind of a long story."

"Whatever, point is, Roxas saved my neck. That jerk Seifer knocked his stupid Grandstander ball into our accessory shop and everything spilled everywhere—pendants, bangles, bracelets, earrings, you name it."

"And what did Roxas do?"

"Punched Seifer in the nose, and then he and his friends helped me set everything back up. It would have taken me hours to do it by myself. I really owe you one, Roxas."

"It was the right thing to do," Roxas said. "Nobody should be owed for doing the right thing."

"Whatever you say, Mister Do-Right," Jessie said, ruffling Roxas's hair. Hey! Only Axel got to do that! And Roxas was blushing as red as a fire truck. "See ya around!"

They were rounding the corner to the ice cream shop when they were stopped again, this time by Scrooge McDuck. A resident of Disney Castle who owned businesses in Radiant Garden and Twilight Town. Axel wasn't sure how that was allowed, but he wasn't the one who enforced World Order.

"Hello there, me laddies!" McDuck said. He waddled over to them and pounded the ground with his cane. "Roxas, good on ya, m'boy!"

"Er…" Roxas said. "You're welcome, Mister McDuck."

"Roxas help you out with something?" Axel asked. "I've been out of the loop."

"Oh yes, he helped set up posters for me bistro!" McDuck said. "And I'm not sure what he did, but business is booming like it never has before."

"I'm sure Little Chef deserves most of the credit," Roxas said modestly. "Really, Mister McDuck, it was nothing."

"It was much more than that, boy-o," McDuck said. "Don't ya dare sell yourself short. On anything, ya hear? Why this reminds me of the time me own nephew Donald got himself into quite a sticky situation…"

Oh man, duck tales…this would go on for a while. Axel nodded to Roxas as Scrooge went on about some long ago adventure and walked up to the ice cream parlor. The smiling old grandma who owned the ice cream shop smiled at him. Roxas and Xion called her 'Granny.' That wasn't her name, but she had never minded. Which was good, because Axel wasn't sure he could remember her real name.

"Here you are Axel, your favorite, sea-salt ice cream," Granny said. "No Xion today?"

"She got kidnapped by her…sisters to get her nails done," Axel said. "Just me and Roxas today."

"Oh," Granny said. "Roxas is such a nice boy. You've done really well by him, Axel."

Axel paused and glanced back at Roxas. He was the boy who had defied the Organization and fought in the Keyblade War, saving countless worlds. He was the boy who helped build a community garden and didn't take credit for it, the boy who helped clean a mess he hadn't made, and tried to downplay his contributions when he didn't think he deserved the credit. And the boy who listens to Scrooge McDuck's old, boring stories.

Axel felt a strange feeling in his chest. It wasn't quite joy. And it wasn't contentment either. Could it be pride? He liked the idea of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? I'm a sucker for where Roxas is beloved by the people of Twilight Town.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	19. Sea Salt Vignettes: Sora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sea Salt Trio goes to visit Sora. Axel realizes that he has to share Roxas and Xion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Salutations, my dear readers! Please enjoy the newest vignette!

One of the things Axel tried to make a priority was making sure Roxas and Xion spent time with Sora. It was kind of important, since Sora was the bridge that connected them. When Sora ditched his heart to free Kairi's heart that was trapped in his body (Long story), Roxas had been created. And when Sora first clashed with Xemnas, back in Radiant Garden…or Hollow Bastion, as it had then been called, Xemnas had swiped some of Sora's memories of his technically-not-girlfriend Kairi. Which was how Xion was formed—she was Kairi as Sora remembered her, at least as a base.

In the old days, Axel had tried to keep this information hidden, since Sora had gotten himself into real trouble and wound up needing Roxas and Xion to give up their independent existences (Another long story). Xion had been willing and it cost her not only her existence but all memory of her. Roxas…not so much. And once Sora realized just how screwed up the whole situation was, he'd become hell-bent to get Roxas back. And he had…with a little help.

So, meeting with Sora was all things considered, something Axel wanted to make a habit. Rather than have Sora travel to Twilight Town this time, Axel and his two half-pints took their Gummi ship out to the Destiny Islands.

Sora was waiting for them at the play island, which was about the only place where they could land their ship inconspicuously. As soon as they set foot on the shore, Sora barreled towards them. He clapped Roxas hard on the back and hugged Xion so tightly he lifted her off her feet.

"It's so good to see you guys!" Sora said. "It's been ages!"

"It hasn't even been two weeks, you softie," Roxas said. "Since when is that _ages_?"

"I don't mind," Xion giggled. "I missed you, Sora. And Roxas missed you too, even if he's too chicken to admit it."

"I'm not chicken!" Roxas protested. "You're the chicken!"

"How can I be the chicken?" Xion said. "I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Oh, sure," Axel chuckled. "Not afraid of anything huh? Like you're not afraid of that shark?"

There wasn't actually a shark, and even then, they were on dry land—probably twenty feet from the shoreline. Xion still shrieked and leapt up into Sora's arms and flailed her hands and bonked Roxas on the nose and they all wound up in a tangle of limbs. Arms and legs and hands and feet all mushed together. Axel wasn't sure where one half-pint ended and another began.

"There's no shark, is there? I fall for that, every time…"

"And I wouldn't have you any other way," Sora said, reaching a hand out to pat Xion's shoulder. He may have been aiming to ruffle her hair, but it was still a sweet gesture.

"Yeah, Xion, you're the most awesome person ever," Roxas said. "So, Sora, now that we're here…"

"Oh, right!" Sora said. "C'mon! The boat's waiting!"

The play island was generally visited by canoe or rowboat. Sora was no exception. His boat was waiting for them. Sora got in first, then helped Xion in and then Roxas squeezed in at the end. Sora would row them to the main island, where he lived with his family, and then double-back for Axel.

Axel didn't mind the wait. It gave him a chance to enjoy the tranquility of the play island. It was…well, peaceful. This world was filled with light, and he wasn't just saying that because the only real shade on this island was the grove of palms trees on the other side of the cove. There weren't any Heartless here, and there wasn't a shiny Cornerstone of Light to magically keep them away.

Axel heard the calls of gulls—and one pelican. Ah, the little thieves were almost like the raccoons back home. Little beggars stealing bits of this and that. And off the shoreline, he could see a couple of dolphins playing. And hear Xion squee with delight when she saw them herself.

These really were wonderful islands. This was a wonderful world. The warmth from the sun…the gentle sea breeze. To think, Sora and Riku had once wanted to leave this place? This was a perfect spot to sleep, sleep, roll over and sleep some more…maybe he would just rest his eyes for a minute.

"AXEL!"

Axel opened his eyes. Uggh…he'd gotten sand in his hair. That was gonna take forever to get out. Sora was staring down at him. He had the same clueless look as the other kiddos.

"I wasn't sleeping…" Axel moaned. "I was just…"

"Resting your eyes?" Sora asked. "Dad says the same thing. Kairi's dad is the same way. Haha, you're a dad, Axel."

Axel gave a bark of laughter. He wasn't a dad. Dads were old. He wasn't old. He was a big brother, or maybe a cool older cousin.

Was it his imagination, or was Sora's boat small? Like, really small. Way too small for him and Sora. Way too small for three half-pints. Heck..was it even big enough for Sora by himself?

"Come on, Axel!"

Sora was at home on the seas. It was weird, in a way. Axel had seen him fight his way through labyrinths and castles. Clash with Heartless and Nobodies and Xehanort. Seeing him row a boat was nothing like that at all. And yet…he didn't think that he had ever seen Sora so comfortable. Almost as soon as Axel sat down in the boat, they were off.

"I have so many things planned!" Sora said. "I'm gonna build the world's biggest sand castle with Roxas and Xion! And I can teach Roxas how to surf! And hunt for sea shells with Xion! We can see the sea turtles come in to lay their eggs! Oh, and Mom and Dad got lobster for dinner! Lobster! Have Roxas and Xion had lobster yet? Oh, and there's shave ice for dessert!"

Sora went on for a while detailing every single pIan he had for their visit, and by the time he was detailing that he wanted to teach Xion to make homemade salt-water taffy, they had made it back to shore. Sora tied his boat to the dock and leapt up. Roxas and Xion were waiting at the end of the dock. Sora greeted them as eagerly as he had when they first landed—clapping Roxas on the back and twirling Xion.

Man…he really did love them.

Axel prided himself on being Roxas and Xion's best friend. It was his job to watch out for them. But when it came to Sora…he was willing to share.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an absolute sap when it comes to Sora playing the role of Big Brother for Roxas and Xion. Axel has to share. Specifically, it's probably tied to my absolute adoration to Regiss's exemplary "Remember The Tides."
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	20. Sea Salt Vignettes: Teasing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A luxuriously lazy day for the Sea Salt Trio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Here's the newest vignette, my dear readers!

Axel stretched lazily. It wasn't often he got a day off. He was going to relish it. No work, no training, no mission. No Heartless, no Nobodies. No bad guys to fight, no monsters hurting people. This was a day off and he was gonna…sleep, sleep, roll over and sleep some more. Or maybe he'd just zone out with the television.

As Axel walked into the living room, Xion was lying on the couch, wrapped in one of her blankets. Sea salt blue, as per usual. Tucked under an arm was her stuffed tiger. Her bare feet stuck out on one end. She grinned widely when she saw him.

"Not moving," Xion said. "I just got to my absolute comfiest spot."

"Didn't say you had to move kiddo," Axel said, moving to sit next to her. "It's your day off and my day off too. You want to be a slug and watch tv all day, that's fine with me."

"I'm not a slug," Xion said. "I'm…an otter. They wrap themselves in kelp, so they don't float away."

Oh right, Xion had been on a nature documentary kick lately. Any sort of documentary, it didn't matter. And, what do ya know? There was a documentary on right now…some guy with a funny accent was talking about the kelp forests. There were little sea otters swimming around. Huh, how did the guys making the documentary get the camera to work underwater?

"Hmm," Axel said. "Now where's that remote control?"

Usually, the remote would fall between the cushions of the couch, and it would be a big hassle trying to get it out. Naturally, as soon as he checked between the cushions, Axel saw the remote was right where it was supposed to be on the coffee table. Along with the tv listings and the remote for the video player. As he moved to reach for the remote, his hand brushed against Xion's bare soles.

"Axel!" Xion squealed, kicking him hard in the leg. Wrapped in her blanket, her movement was restricted and she wound up kicking him with both feet. Right in the knee. Yeee-oowwww! Axlel bit back a curse and his leg throbbed.

"Xion!"

"I'm sorry if that hurt, but I'm not apologizing for kicking you," Xion said, in her most stubborn voice. "That tickled."

_Tickled? Oh….it's on._

Resisting the urge to cackle like a mad scientist, Axel began to think. Xion adjusted herself back into a comfy spot. Her feet brushed lightly against his leg.…her _bare_ feet. One thing Axel had learned in his time as an assassin was the art of patience. It took patience to sit in a tree for sixteen hours. It took patience to arrange things to allow for a coup. It took years of patience to master handling chakrams, which were an incredibly difficult weapon to wield even if Xion made it look easy.

Waiting for the golden opportunity to tickle the daylights out of his little sister was nothing compared to any of that. But it would be far more satisfying. Axel didn't often get the chance to tease Roxas or Xion, since missions and training required some level of seriousness…but today was a day off. Teasing Xion just replaced sleeping on his to-do list. Xion snuggled under her blanket and wiggled her toes. She didn't suspect a thing.

Axel smirked as he began flicking through the channels: Nature documentary, cartoon ponies, boring political pundits, fluffy news that wasn't really news, the church program Olette watched religiously. Movie, sports commentary, commentary on the sports commentary, movie, cartoon wizards…

"Axel," Xion whined, shuffling in her blanket. "Just pick something."

_Pick something? Oh, I'll be picking something, kiddo._

"Yeah, yeah…" Axel said. "Here's something!"

It was one of those movie channels. Axel wasn't sure what the plot was. But the big brother with a stupid haircut was helping the little sister with a problem. They were sorting the pros and cons of a decision the sister had to make with a jar of jelly beans.

"Oh, this is a good one," Xion said, snuggling deeper into her blanket. She tightened her grip on her stuffed tiger.

As the movie went to a commercial break, Axel turned to Xion and grinned. "So, kiddo, you want feathers, or fingers?"

Before she could say anything, Axel shot out a hand and grabbed Xion's ankles, gripping them as tightly as he would his chakrams. With his free hand, he began tickling the bottoms of her feet.

"Axel!" Xion shrieked. "Hahahahaha…"

Xion's protests died as she fell into a heap of giggles. She tried to wiggle free, but Axel's grip on her ankles was tight. What was more, she was still wrapped up in her blanket, which pretty much kept her from kicking free. Xion's giggles grew louder as Axel tickled her toes. He grinned. Xion's ticklishness wasn't something Axel exploited often, but he loved it when she laughed.

"What's going on?" Roxas said, walking into the room. "I heard…screaming?"

"Try laughing," Axel said. "No emergency here, Roxas."

"Roxas…help…please!" Xion squealed. "Hahahaha….Axel's…cheating."

"There's no cheating in a tickle fight, Xi," Axel teased, running his fingers against her soles again. This only made her laugh harder.

Roxas grinned and walked over to the couch. Axel reached a hand to tickle Xion under her knee. Xion jerked and tried to squirm away, only to find herself eye-to-eye with Roxas.

"Roxas, come on!" Xion begged. "Hahahaha…help me!"

"Hmmm…" Roxas said. "Help you?"

Roxas reached down and tugged away Xion's stuffed tiger. He held it in his hands, gently.

"What do you think, Daniel Tiger? Should I help Xion?"

"Give him back! Aaaaaaahhh!" Xion howled with laughter. "You're mean!"

"I should help Axel tickle her?" Roxas said, still holding the stuffed tiger. "Alright, that's a great idea!"

Xion was squealing and laughing and squirming as Axel tickled her feet and toes and under her knee. When Roxas joined in tickling her ribs and neck, Xion laughed so hard, she started becoming breathless. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her blanket had been dislodged and that gave Axel the chance to reach over and squeeze her side. Feet, toes, knees, stomach, side, ribs, chin…Axel and Roxas tickled them every inch of Xion they could reach.

"Please, mercy!" Xion shrieked. "Axel!" Roxas!"

She laughed and rolled to her side, which allowed Roxas to tickle her underarm, and Xion squealed with laughter.

After a few minutes, but for Xion it was probably an eternity, or at least an eon, Axel signaled to Roxas. She'd had enough. Roxas nodded and raised his hands away from Xion's ribs. Axel loosened his grip on Xion's feet, allowing her to scoot away.

"You two…" Xion groaned weakly. "Are the biggest…jerkfaces…ever."

All things considered, she didn't seem that upset. Xion glared at them, but her lip was quivering. She broke into another fit of giggles. But neither Axel nor Roxas was tickling her.

"Jerkfaces…" Xion said. "But…you're my jerkfaces."

Xion looked from Roxas to Axel and back again. She frowned in concentration and then leaned her head into Axel's lap, wrapping her blanket back around her. She reached out an arm to grab her stuffed tiger and tuck it in with her.

"Xion?"

"I was wrong before," Xion said. "You're my comfiest spot, Axel. You always have been. I'm not moving."

"But kiddo," Axel said, "I can't move."

"I missed the part where that's my problem," Xion said, snuggling deeper into Axel's thigh. Her bare feet stuck out from the end of the blanket and she wiggled her toes into its folds. Roxas picked Xion's feet up and set them in his lap and then wrapped them more snuggly in her blanket.

Axel began to chuckle. He ruffled Xion's hair—even this made her giggle—and leaned his head back against the couch. The movie was coming back on. This was his day off. His little brother was sitting next to him, his little sister was snuggled in their laps. And he couldn't think of a comfier spot to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can say about this vignette is poor, poor, poor Xion. Doomed to suffer at the hands of her big brother Axel forever! And poor Axel, who will never be able to stand up, due to the half-pints deciding he's their pillow. Hahaha!
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	21. Sea Salt Vignettes: Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel realizes there's still words and entire languages that Roxas and Xion do not understand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Here we are my dear readers! Enjoy the newest vignette!

"I don't understand," Roxas said. He had his nose in a dictionary. "It doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense, kiddo?" Axel asked. "What's on your mind?"

"I heard a couple kids in town…they said words I don't understand, and they're not in the dictionary."

"What were the words?" Axel said. He had a funny feeling about this. It wasn't quite dread or unease. But it wasn't very comfy either.

"Um…" Roxas said. "Well…see, the thing is, Seifer's the one who said them, and well…"

Seifer was the neighborhood thug. Axel couldn't imagine anything he said would have been good.

"It made Jessie, the girl whose family runs the accessory shop, slap him," Roxas said. "So I wanted to find out what the word meant, so I can make sure I never use it."

"Ah," Axel said. "You know, Roxas, I don't think you have to worry about that. You heard what Seifer said, so all you have to do is not say it."

"It's not that easy," Roxas said. "Sure, Seifer's a creep, but there's lots of things Xion and I still don't understand. Like last week, Hayner said it rained cats and dogs at his cousin's wedding. Xion and I didn't know what that meant."

"That just means it rained really hard," Axel said. "And the reason it gets called that is because…er…"

"Pence said that even the experts aren't sure how that figure of speech started," Roxas frowned. "I don't like it. It almost feels like everyone is keeping secrets from us."

"C'mon Roxas," Axel said. "You know that's not right."

"I _know_ it isn't," Roxas said. "I said it _feels_ that way. There's so much Xion and I don't know, and it's really weird, because it's stuff everyone else knows!"

"Look, buddy," Axel said. "I get it. I really do—being in the Organization made you two miss out on…well, everything. And there was loads I wound up missing out on."

"That doesn't make me feel better, Axel," Roxas said. "Is this the part where you tell me there's a lot of stuff I understand that nobody else around here could ever know?"

Before Axel could elaborate that _yes_ , that was a very fair point—Roxas and Xion had a far greater knowledge of the grand scale of things than any of their peers—the door opened up, and they could hear Xion singing to herself as she kicked off her boots and walked into the living room.

"Hi Axel, hi Roxas." Xion said. "What's going on?"

"Axel's trying to convince me it's okay that we don't understand half of what our friends say."

"Funny you should mention that. Hanging out with Olette was kinda weird. But kind of cool too," Xion said. "We ran into Father Forthill, and they began speaking in Latin to each other. I couldn't understand a word they said."

"Latin?" Axel groaned. Years had passed since he had attended Mass as a kid, and even then he couldn't understand a word of it. "But that's not like Olette. She's more sensitive to you guys than anyone."

"It wasn't so bad," Xion said quickly. "She's offered to teach me some Latin, so we can use it as sort of a secret code."

Axel considered this. In his experience, all girls already had a secret code that came with being girls, but he knew enough not to mention _that_ , since that would only lead to six million more questions.

"Yeah…" Roxas said. "Sorry Axel, I guess I just wanted to vent. It's okay that I don't know what word Seifer used…oh wait, here it is…oh…"

Roxas blushed bright red, and knowing how little he knew about the English language…Axel grabbed the dictionary, yanked out the page and set it on fire. Not that he was one for censorship, but there were things he was perfectly happy the kiddos didn't understand. And if Axel had things his way, he'd make sure they would never understand _that_ kind of icky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regrettably, I never was able to grasp foreign languages very well in school. Un-regrettably, I did not understand a good deal of slang either.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	22. Sea Salt Vignettes: Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel goes through a photo album

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.

Axel walked over to the couch. Roxas and Xion…well, he wasn't actually sure where they were today. Master Aqua and Ven had showed up, in a change from the usual routine, and asked to see how they usually trained. Roxas and Xion were very dedicated to their Keyblade training, so they probably wouldn't be home for several hours.

Axel wasn't sure what it was that made him pick up the photo album. Maybe he was just feeling sentimental.

There was something odd about albums, or at least this photo album. Even though it was only a few months old, it felt like it had been around much longer. As if it had been part of Axel's life for his entire life. Certainly, it was part of his new life. The life he had with Roxas and Xion. And more specifically than that, the part of their lives that wasn't tied to the thrice-damned Organization. More specifically than _that,_ it was a collection of photos from their vacations.

Axel opened the cover. The first page had a simple drawing that Naminé had done of the three of them. It was the first picture of them Axel knew of that had them in their regular clothes, not in the Organization robes.

The first proper page of photos was dedicated to their vacation at Disneytown. King Mickey had invited all of the Guardians of Light to come and visit. Turns out, most of his world was dedicated to being an amusement park. There was a picture of the three of them on a freefall, a picture of them playing a game called Fruitball with Master Aqua (Aqua won), a picture of them racing go-karts with Terra (Xion came in dead last, but she liked going slow), and a picture of them in front of a gargantuan ice cream sundae with Ven. That had been a great day.

The next set of vacation pictures had been a trip to the beach. Or, one of several trips to the beach. Pictures of Roxas and Xion sharing a very large slice of watermelon; pictures of Xion wading through the shallows looking for seashells; Roxas and Xion building a giant sand castle; Roxas burying Xion under the sand…Axel smiled. Those two had always wanted a beach vacation.

After the beach vacation photos, there were pictures of them hiking in a forest in a world called Corona, having a picnic. Xion had cooked everything herself…and had gone a little bit overboard. Several of the recipes were based on dishes ol' Scrooge's bistro served. The picnic blanket was sea-salt blue, naturally.

There were a few more pictures of their trip to Corona. In the courtyard in the city capital, it was tradition to dance. The princess, Rapunzel, was dancing with Roxas and Xion at the same time, looking as happy as any could be. Made sense, since Rapunzel was one of the Seven New Hearts.

There were more photos from other vacations. There were a dozen photos from the trip where they had traveled to Colosseum in Olympus and Roxas had led them to victory in the tournaments. There were loads of photos from Neverland—though Xion had taken a bunch of these, and bless her, her thumb was in a good chunk of them. There were so many pictures of Destiny Islands, which not only had the nicest beaches of any world, but also was the world where some of their dearest friends lived, Axel didn't bother trying to keep count. But the photo of Roxas and Sora and Xion and Kairi and Naminé all huddled together might be his very favorite.

Vacations were something special, there was no denying that—the chance to get to a new environment and try new things with no real pressures for success or failure. The chance to simply be. That was something Roxas and Xion had never really gotten to experience, that year in the Organization. Back then, they'd had _one_ vacation day. And Xion had spent it training (Axel couldn't judge too harshly—he had spent it sleeping).

But it was something Axel was determined to put as much distance between their lives now and their lives then as possible. Here's hoping there were many more vacations to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't think of any vacation to write over another, so I decided Axel reflecting on several was just as fine!
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	23. Sea Salt Vignettes: Watching the Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sea Salt Trio watch the sunset, just as always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Here we go, my dear readers!

It was gratifying, the way that some things never changed. So many things had happened—getting a Keyblade, getting Roxas and Xion back, fighting a war…living a life…but the sunset never really changed.

There was a beauty in the sunset. It didn't matter if Axel had trained with his Keyblade all day and was so sore, he could barely move. Or if he . Or if he had just had a lazy day with Roxas and Xion. There was always a sunset. And sea salt ice cream to eat while you watched the sunset.

Oh, sure, there were days where it was cloudy—or as cloudy as it got in Twilight Town. And there were days where it was too hot to sit on the Clock Tower for very long. And every now and then, Roxas or Xion would get sick and have to stay in bed. But that didn't mean the sunset wasn't there.

"Hi Axel!"

Axel smiled and took a bite of ice cream. He loved it when they spoke in unison. There was just something cute about it. Roxas sat down next to him, and in a change from the usual set-up, Xion sat on Axel's other side.

"Look Roxas, we made an Axel Sandwich!"

"Yeah!" Roxas said. "Only thing is, who's gonna eat it? Axel's nothing but skin and bones!"

"Ha ha," Axel said, cuffing Roxas upside the head. "You two are hilarious. If I'm skin and bones, then you two half-pints aren't even a midnight snack."

Xion giggled and took a bite out of her ice cream. Axel took a bite of his own. His favorite flavor, sea salt as per usual.

This was one of the nicest sunsets he had seen in a while. The sunset was a brilliant shade of red. Orange and purple-gray clouds. The gentlest of breezes. They didn't come nicer than this.

"Hey Xion," Axel said. "I bet you don't know why the sun sets red."

"It's 'cause light is made of a bunch of colors," Xion chirped. "And out of all the colors, red travels the farthest."

"Have…I mentioned that before?" Axel asked. "Ah, man. I have got to get my own life lessons memorized."

"I read it in a book," Xion said, leaning her head against Axel's side. "Did you know that clouds can weigh over a million pounds? As much as a hundred elephants!"

"As a matter of fact, I didn't know that," Axel smirked. "Looks like you're the ones who have the answers now, eh, half-pint?"

"Maybe…" Xion said. "Axel, what's an elephant?"

Axel choked on his ice cream. She…what…huh?! Come on, they had to know what elephants were!

"It's a big animal!" Roxas said. "It's got two really big, curved teeth called tusks and a huge nose called a trunk. It can pick things up with its trunk! And it never forgets anything ever!"

"Guess elephants get it memorized, eh Axel? Guess you could use some pointers from them," Xion said. "Hey! Watch the hair!"

"You two…" Axel said, reaching out to cuff both their heads. "Never get older."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What more can I say for the Sea Salt Trio except that I want them to be able to watch the sunset ten thousand times?
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	24. Sea Salt Vignettes: Xion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel spends the day with Xion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> After a vignette focused on Axel and one focused on Roxas, I figured one focused on Xion was too perfect to pass up.

Mornings in Twilight Town were generally quiet and Axel liked them that way. Sleepy mornings for a sleepy town. Axel would have happily spent another hour in bed, but his stomach had other ideas. As he walked into the kitchen to prepare himself, Xion was already at the table, munching on cold cereal and what was left of an English muffin, and drinking a mug of cocoa. She was wearing her bathrobe (sea-salt blue, naturally) over her favorite seashell pajamas. She was too adorable for words.

While the kiddos could eat half their weight in sugar at pretty much any opportunity, Axel was a grown-up. Which meant he had to eat like a grown-up…or pour himself a bowl of the cereal. But he was drinking coffee. Coffee was for grown-ups like him. It would stunt Roxas and Xion's growth if they drank coffee—and they were puny enough as it was—so all the more coffee for him.

"Where's Roxas?" Axel asked as he sipped his coffee. Mmm…dark roast, no cream, two sugar cubes.

"Hayner kidnapped him," Xion said. "Said something about how he wanted to master the double-o-nine. Roxas and I asked what the double-o-nine was, and then Pence said that Hayner's spent too much time watching old skateboarding movies."

She took a sip of her morning cocoa, leaving a mustache of chocolate on her upper lip. Axel gave a bark of laughter that he tried and failed to turn into a cough. Xion didn't seem to have noticed.

"So, I guess it's just you and me today," Xion said. She took another sip of cocoa and looked contemplative. Contemplative cocoa. Axel hadn't thought such a thing was possible. But Roxas and Xion did the impossible routinely.

"Yeah, it's just us," Axel said. "So…a free day, kiddo. Anything you want to do?"

"Something…" Xion said. "Something real. I don't want to be an otter today."

Oh right, last day off, Xion had spent the entire day wrapped in her blanket, watching cartoons and nature documentaries. Axel and Roxas had watched the shows with her…and tickled her senseless fourteen different times. Xion had actually started daring them to tickle her after the fifth time. But Axel didn't think they'd do that today—last day off had been rainy, looking at the weather page of the newspaper, it was going to be too nice to stay inside today.

"Ya make plans with Olette?" Axel asked, sipping more of his coffee.

"I didn't make plans," Xion said. "I just know I want to do something, with you."

"Come on kiddo," Axel said.. "There's got to be something. We could hit the beach, if you like."

Xion shook her head. Axel could understand why. She didn't want Roxas to fee left out. Well, there were other places than the beach. They could go to the library—Xion loved it there.

"Could…we just go for a walk?"

xxxx

Twilight Town was a curious world. Axel had traveled to dozens of worlds, in his time with the Organization and his time with the Keyblade Masters. And it was by far his favorite to walk around. For one thing, it was a genuine town. There were loads of worlds that were mostly mountains or jungles or glaciers. Master Aqua disputed this, and said these worlds' geography was tied to the presence of the Keyholes and that many worlds had limited range therein for outsiders. Blah, blah, blah…Axel had a tendency to not get things memorized with Master Aqua was talking.

But yeah, Twilight Town was mostly streets—though the woods were nice too, when you wanted a nature trail. And the streets here were sleepy and slow. Sure, there were areas of the town where people drove—the exit to the freeway was only a couple miles out, but there were also neighborhoods where it was easier to walk.

"Mornin' Axel," Mister Yanushi, the businessman who ran a community garden greeted as they walked by. Xion grinned and waved back and Axel returned the greeting.

He knew people here. He hadn't even known his next-door neighbors' _names_ back in Radiant Garden.

Every now and then, Axel thought he felt Xion reach for his hand. Reach for his hand and then yank it back, almost as if it burned. Axel was strong in fire magic, to be sure. But they weren't sparring—and it'd be easy for them to do so, if Xion had been so inclined. Was something bothering her?

They walked down the street, Axel leading the way. He didn't really have any destination in mind. Xion was right. It was nice just to walk. One thing Axel liked to do as a kid, when exploring the Garden, was to make random turns, to see where he'd find himself.

They walked two blocks straight from their home, came to an intersection, and made a right turn. They walked one block, considerably longer than the las two blocks, and made a left turn. Two blocks, a right turn. Then one block and a left turn…and, ah, a city park.

The park was large, as parks went. There were some oak trees and some maple trees. Lots of grass. Hmm, he should have brought his frisbees. And there were some swings—which he was too tall for. And there was a jungle gym—with a pirate design, nice! And some slides—one of them a tunnel slide. There were also lots of park benches to sit on. Great—he needed to find out what was really on Xion's mind.

Axel walked over to one of the park benches and plopped down, giving an exaggerated sigh. Xion sat down next to him. The park bench was high enough that Xion's feet didn't reach the ground. Which was a really weird design, since half-pint she might be, Xion wasn't _that_ tiny. Still, something stirred in Axel's chest. He reached out an arm and wrapped it around Xion's shoulder. She tensed briefly and then leaned against his chest.

"Something's bothering you," Axel said. "Come on, kiddo. Let's not keep secrets."

Xion gripped the edges of the bench tight. Her knuckles turned white. She seemed almost timid.

"I…I'm not sure how I feel about you, Axel."

"What do you mean?" Axel asked. What was there to think about? She was his best friend. His half-pint. One of the kiddos. They had been in the Organization together, and…Axel had screwed things up for her badly. Way badly. She had tried to defect from the Organization, which really, had been the right thing to do by virtually anybody's definition. And he had dragged her back by force. Even when she had been determined to return to Sora…

_Please don't hold back, Axel. Promise._

"I…I am so sorry, for everything I did to you Xion…that day in front of the Mansion…"

"Not that!" Xion said. "Not that at all…you were only doing what you thought was best…and you were trying to make sure that I didn't hurt myself. How could I be angry with you about that?"

"Then what's on your mind? What do you mean, you're not sure how you feel?"

"You know how you call me, 'little sister.'" Xion asked. "I'm not sure I agree with that."

"You don't?" Axel asked.

"No, dummy. I'm not sure if you're my brother…or my dad."

Gah! Whatever Axel had been expecting, it definitely wasn't that! Her dad?! Where would she have gotten a crazy idea like that?! He wasn't her dad! She'd been built in one of Vexen's labs and Axel had more or less babysat. And yeah, he had grown to cherish her, because who couldn't cherish Xion after meeting her for more than a minute. And he'd watched out for her and there was no denying that Xion was awesome and adorable…but her dad?

"I'm sorry!" Xion said. "I'm so sorry if that feels weird but…it's kind of how I feel about you."

"No," Axel said sharply and Xion tensed. Axel cringed and Xion tensed more. Dang it, this wasn't what he wanted to happen. He took Xion's hand. "What I meant was, no, do not apologize. Xion, you should never ever apologize for how you feel. You just…surprised me, is all. I mean, sweetheart, me? Your dad?"

"You called me sweetheart," Xion mumbled. "That's something a dad calls his daughter…isn't it?"

"Uhhhhhh…." Axel said. "Um…er…well…"

"You do do some dad things, Axel," Xion said. "You help me in the kitchen. You take care of me when I'm sick. When I have nightmares, you're the one I want…look, I know it's weird…"

"Er…" Axel said. "Man, when you put it that way…"

"But like I said," Xion said, not looking Axel in the eye. "I'm not sure if you're my big brother or my dad. You like eating ice cream and you watch really scary movies and you put things on shelves I can't reach."

"It's not my fault if you're a half-pint," Axel said, reaching a hand to ruffle her hair. "Blame Even for not building you longer legs."

"And, you're not that old…" Xion said. "Not like Sora's dad or Even."

"No, I'm not. I'm not old enough to be your dad," Axel nodded. "Big brother it is, don't ya think?"

"Usually…" Xion said. "Because, you're kind of silly. You're kind of like a mix of Sora and Riku, really. You make jokes and will watch the shows I like, even if you don't like them. That's like Sora. And you stick up for me, the way Riku sticks up for Sora and Kairi."

"You've given this a lot of thought," Axel said. "

"You're fifteen…ish."

"That's part of why I'm confused," Xion muttered. "Sometimes…I feel…like I'm not the right age. Like I act too much like a little kid."

"How do ya figure?"

"You drink coffee in the morning. So do Terra and Master Aqua and Ienzo. But I drink cocoa."

"That's it?" Axel asked. "Xion, come on, nobody's going to judge you as being a little kid for not drinking coffee."

"It's not just that…" Xion said. She began kicking her legs absentmindedly. Her feet dangled six inches off the ground. In retrospect, the weird park benches might not have been the best place to have this conversation. "I have stuffed animals."

"Lots of kids have stuffed animals," Axel said. "There's nothing wrong with that either. Did Hayner or Pence make fun of you? I know Olette wouldn't. I don't even think she _can_ , with her pure heart and all."

"No, I heard another kid making fun of his sister for still sleeping with a doll," Xion said. "I didn't say anything, because it wasn't my business and his mom yelled at him anyway. But I…is it weird that I have a stuffed tiger _and_ a teddy bear?"

"No," Axel said. "If you want them, then there's no reason not to have them. It shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks is too young or too old for something."

Something clicked in the back of Axel's mind. Earlier, Xion had kept reaching for his hand. Had…she wanted to hold his hand while they were walking? Axel began to think. So much of Xion's life had been about war. She had been made, literally, to be a weapon. She had been forced to kill Heartless, or be destroyed. Constantly abused by Saix and Xemnas. And then the Keyblade Graveyard and Xehanort's Keyblade War…more fighting. Fighting, fighting, fighting. Nothing but fighting.

Parents…they were supposed to do certain things. One of these things was holding their child's hand while they crossed the street. But Xion had barely had a chance to be a child. She wanted her hand held.

Axel took Xion's hand and squeezed it gently. It was tiny in his own hand. Xion was tiny in general. She was a little girl. She needed someone to watch out for her. She was so strong with a Keyblade, but when there wasn't fighting…she needed someone to stick up for her.

"You're amazing at this advice thing, you know?" Xion said. She leaned her head against Axel's chest. "I think the most Dad-ish thing about you, Axel, is that I know that without you, I wouldn't be who I am now."

xxxx

It had been a great day. Really, really great. After their talk, Axel had walked Xion through the park and then all the way to the wealthier neighborhoods in the north of Twilight Town. They'd eaten lunch at Scrooge's bistro. And then they had walked down the trails in the woods outside of town—they'd seen a beautiful silver fox.

They were home now. Axel was resting in his favorite spot on the couch. Xion was lying down, her feet resting in his lap. Axel lightly ran his fingers against her soles. Xion was nearly having a fit of giggles. One of his favorite sounds.

"Alright, so how else am I like a big brother?" Axel asked. He wiggled his fingers and Xion gave a small shriek of laughter.

"That!" Xion gasped in laughter. "Tickling is definitely something a big brother does. You're just like Sora that way. And you're a jerkface! Haaaa!"

"And how else am I like a dad?" Axel said, pulling his hand away, waiting for Xion to catch her breath.

"Well…Master Aqua says that she was raised by Master Eraqus and she inherited his Keyblade. You passed your chakrams down to me. I know it was kinda by accident, but still."

Xion swung her legs down and pulled herself to her feet. She stretched her arms in an exaggerated fashion and began walking back to her room. She paused for a moment and then padded back to the couch. She wrapped her arms around Axel's neck and kissed his cheek.

"I changed my mind. You're not my brother or my dad. You're my Axel. And there's nothing better than an Axel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dynamic between Axel and Roxas and Xion is a curious one. While I don't generally see him as a parent, I do think that Roxas and Xion, having a relatively limited frame of reference might seem him that way, but also recognize that their dynamic differs from any more traditional parental-child dynamic they may encounter. Thus, "You're my Axel."
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	25. Sea Salt Vignettes: Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel muses on the anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Enjoy, my dearest readers! Enjoy!

They were sitting on the Clock Tower, again. Axel and his two closest friends, Roxas and Xion. Their ice cream had long since been eaten but they were still talking. Axel didn't think they'd ever run out of things to talk about.

"It's been a year…" Axel said. "Three hundred sixty-five days…sixty-six actually, since it's a leap year."

"I still don't really understand leap years," Roxas said. "I mean, why have them in the first place? Is it bad I don't get it?"

"Eh, don't worry about that," Axel said. "Those don't make sense to me either."

"Even says that leap years are important to synchronize the seasons," Xion said. "Because a year is actually about three hundred, sixty-five days and six hours and without them, everything falls out of alignment."

"Huh," Axel said. "No kidding?"

"Yeah, we'd wind up having Christmas in March, or something," Xion said. "I can't remember exactly."

"Calendars are weird," Roxas said. "I think we can all agree on that."

Calendars were pretty weird. Axel remembered learning in school that at one point, the entire world had to switch its calendars for some reason, but he couldn't remember why. Something about some scholars going through some old books and realizing they made rounding errors in the genealogy of something or other. He hadn't gotten the details memorized.

"Still…" Xion said, kicking her legs lightly. "It's been a year. Think of everything that's happened."

Axel closed his eyes and thought. There had been so many things. Some wonderful, some horrible. They were together, that alone was wonderful. A couple months back, Xion and Roxas had both gotten an awful fever, which really sucked.

There had been plenty of days where they trained with their Keyblades—Xion had learned how to use his chakrams, Isa's claymore, and some of Ienzo's spells. Roxas was learning to use Dilan's lances, in case he ever needed an additional weapon. And they could run and jump and were starting to learn a technique Master Yen Sid called "flowmotion."

There had been days of peace too. They had had trips to the beach, trips to the park, many, many trips to the ice cream parlor. A trip to the dentist. Lazy days where the most they'd done was lie on the couch and watch tv. Roxas and Xion were learning to cook, learning to build things, learning about themselves.

They had a home now. A home with a fully stocked pantry and a refrigerator. A home where they had whatever they wanted in their rooms. Their own unique clothes. Their own unique blankets. Books and videos of movies. Roxas had a skateboard and a really weird tiki-head tissue dispenser, but they were his. Xion had her stuffed animals.

They'd had holidays—the way their faces lit up that Christmas morning. Thanksgiving, with the turkey and stuffing and homemade pumpkin pie. The Founders' Day parade. It'd been a wonderful, magical year.

Here's hoping they'd have many more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically speaking, this should probably be the final vignette. It certainly feels like a finale. But there's still one more letter in the alphabet, my friends. One more story to come!
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


	26. Sea Salt Vignettes: Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel and Roxas and Xion take a trip to the zoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.
> 
> Here we are! The last of the Sea Salt Vignettes!

It surprised Axel sometimes, just how little Roxas and Xion had experienced. They had never flown in an airplane—Gummi ships really didn't count. They had never stayed up past their bedtimes (which was really weird, but not something Axel was in a hurry to change, since them following what few ground rules he laid out was something to encourage). And they had never gone to the zoo.

When he was a kid, Axel had loved the menagerie at Radiant Garden. It had been set up by one of the wealthy families—there was a herd of white deer and some peacocks. Turns out that hadn't been a zoo so much as it had been the family flaunting its wealth. So, a genuine trip to a zoological park was going to be a first for all of them.

Twilight Town didn't have a zoo, or at least not one within an easy distance—there was one three hours by train, but at that length of time, it was just as easy to go to a different world. King Mickey suggested they come to Disney Town. Apparently, they had quite a zoo. And Mickey was grateful for the opportunity, since he hadn't gone in quite some time, either.

As the four of them entered the park, Xion and Roxas took hold of each others' hands. Axel rolled his eyes. They looked for any excuse to hold hands.

"Awww," King Mickey said. "I remember when Minnie and I were like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Young, in love, without a care in the world…" King Mickey said wistfully. "Those were such simple times…"

"Roxas? Xion? In love?!" Axel blurted. "No, no way. I'm not gonna give that any thought. No way, no way, no way."

"Axel!" Roxas called, "You coming?"

xxxx

"Bears!" Roxas said. "Check it out, Axel! There's a whole family of bears."

 _Family_ wasn't the word Axel would have used. There didn't really seem to be any cubs. But there were about thirty bears roaming around the exhibit—which was one of the largest exhibits he'd ever seen. Some were brown and some were black and some were a more chestnut-y color and some were almost as blond as Roxas. And they were all walking around on two legs.

"Hiya Humphrey!" King Mickey called, waving to one particular brown bear rubbing his back against a tree.

"This sign says that Humphrey and the other bears are brown bears," Xion said. "Their scientific name is _Ursus arctos._ Neat!"

"They can weigh up to eight hundred pounds or three hundred sixty three kilograms," Roxas said. "They're omeny-vorous."

 _"_ _Omnivorous,"_ Axel corrected automatically. "Means they eat meat and plants. Like people."

The bear that Mickey called Humphrey waved at them. Xion waved back and the bear began clapping its paws together. Yeesh, these bears were more like people than Axel thought.

"Feeding time!" A fat little zookeeper called, waddling over. He had a large bucket of fish in one hand. "Here's one for Habbo and one for Hal and one for Hambone and one for Hank and one for Harriet and one for Harry and one for Hazel and one for Hebert and one for Heidi and one for Henry and one for Holly and one for…"

The bears ran up to get their fish, while Humphrey was still scratching his back. When he finally realized what was happening, he raced over, tripping over his own feet. He stumbled and rolled all the way down the slope, crashing into each and every one of the bears ahead of him in line. Bears went this way and that, and then Humphrey rolled into the zookeeper. The pail of fish flew into the sky. And then they began falling…some of them not in the exhibit where the bears lived. One of them landed on Axel's head. Blech!

"Humphrey!" The zookeeper bonked the bear on the head. "Just look at the mess you've made! Clean it all up, right now! And you're not getting supper tonight!"

Humphrey made a very unhappy sound and began picking up the fallen fish. One by one he handed them to the other bears, who began eating them with gusto.

"That doesn't seem fair," Roxas said. "It was just an accident."

"And eating them like that in front of him?" Xion shook her head. "That's just mean."

Humphrey sat on a rock, looking very hungry and very lonely. Axel paused. He still had a large fish..and there were a few others scattered around the zoo path. He nodded to the half-pints and they began to pick up as many as they could. When their arms were full, Axel began tossing the fish to Humphrey, A whole pile landed at the bear's feet.

"Heh!"

xxxx

"This mountain lion is the largest cat of the family…Fel…Filly…Felly-ade?" Roxas read from a placard. "It has one of the largest natural ranges of any carnivore."

"It's solitary," Xion said. "Which means it lives all by itself, without any friends or family…awww…doesn't he get lonely?"

The mountain lion was long and kind of scruffy looking and sleepy. It stretched out on its rock, sunning itself. It didn't look like it had a care in the world.

"Golly," King Mickey said. "I remember once, Goofy accidentally got his pet kitten mixed up with a mountain lion just like this one!"

At the mention of the name "Goofy," the mountain lion's eyes bulged open. It raised its head and began looking around frantically.

"Rar? Rar?" The mountain lion almost seemed to speak. And it looked like it was panicking. Man, how bad could it have been? Every time he had met up with Goofy, things had gone well.

"Aw, you don't have to worry about Goofy," King Mickey said. "He's busy feeding his goldfish."

The mountain lion nodded and then curled back up to get back to its nap. Ah, an animal that liked to sleep, sleep, roll over and sleep some more. An animal after Axel's own heart.

xxxx

Anteaters, buffalo, crocodiles, dinosaurs (!), elephants, foxes, gorillas, hyena, ibex, jaguars, kangaroos, lemurs, meerkats…it'd been quite a day, all things considered.

In additional to an absolutely absurd amount of animal facts that he didn't know—which was weird, since generally, Axel liked animals—Axel learned something new. Axel hated seals. Specifically, the dwarf seal that was making fun of him, bouncing its enrichment ball against his head.

"Ow!" Axel said. "That's the fifth time! That little ba…brat is doing it on purpose!"

"That's Salty for you," King Mickey chuckled. "Anything for a laugh."

"Ar ar ar ar!" Salty the Seal barked and clapped his flippers. He dove into his pond and then popped back up. He had another little red ball in his flippers and bounced it so that it would balance on his nose.

"Hahaha," Xion giggled. "He almost sounds like a dog! Like Pluto!"

Axel gave a small smile as he rubbed the back of his head. Yeah, leave it to Xion to fall in love with an animal that reminded her of King Mickey's dog.

Roxas and Xion grinned at him, their eyes wide with wonder and amusement. Axel rubbed the back of his head ruefully and he felt the small smile on his face grow.

This. This was enough. More than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're finished! That's the last of the Sea Salt Vignettes! I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them, my dearest readers.
> 
> Thank you for reading my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed, my dear, dear readers! Leave a comment if you're so inclined! I appreciate each and every one of you!


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